New Packers Snapper Coco ‘Just Outworked Everyone’ at Georgia Tech

Lewis Caralla, Georgia Tech’s head strength and conditioning coach, discusses Jack Coco’s unique story that led him to the Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – New Green Bay Packers long snapper Jack Coco took quite a path from Georgia Tech to Titletown.

2017: Redshirted as a walk-on long snapper and offensive lineman.

2018: Handled snaps on field goals and extra points.

2019: Handled snaps on field goals and extra points.

2020: Moved to tight end while still handling snaps on field goals and extra points.

2021: Finally got a scholarship and focused only on tight end.

2022: An undrafted free agent, he signed with the Packers on Tuesday.

“He’s just so determined,” Lewis Caralla, Georgia Tech’s head strength and conditioning coach, said on Wednesday morning. “He’s a relentless worker. He was our lifter of the year last year for the big-skill category of our team.

“He lost 60 to 70 pounds [to move to tight end] and transformed not just his body but his work ethic, which was insane. He would do so much extra work, so much beyond what was required of him, and loved it. He came in here with the best attitude every day, impacted so many other people around him. That’s why he got the scholarship because he was making a big impact on the team. He just outworked everyone, period.”

Georgia Tech TE Jack Coco. (Photo courtesy Georgia Tech athletics)

Coco’s older sister, Claudia, played volleyball at Tennessee. Her athleticism and competitiveness helped drive Coco on his quest to change positions.

“He completely changed his diet, and just the natural competitiveness as a family, we would text back and forth, and he would text, ‘I ran three miles today. What did you do?’” Claudia told The Athletic in 2020. “And I’d text back, ‘I ran six miles’ or whatever. He made it a point to really take time to change his diet; he learned how to cook. I think he ate the same thing for 60 days straight, I think it was salad and chicken. Like he knew how to cook one thing, and that’s what he did all the time. …

“Both Mom and Dad have put it in our brains, ‘If you work hard, it will pay off for you guys. You just have to put in the work to do it.’ It’s not always immediate.”

This story deserves more attention. @EJCJackCoco was a walk on O-Lineman that transformed into a scholarship TE & just signed with the @packers as a Long Snapper.

Jack, you’re the definition of defying the odds and I’m thankful I got to coach you. Love you man! @GeorgiaTechFB pic.twitter.com/LnpmHfiZBX

— Lewis Caralla (@LewisCaralla) May 17, 2022

Coco toiled for four years at Georgia Tech on his own dime before getting that payoff. Finally, during a team meeting at fall camp last summer, Coco was awarded a scholarship – a moment he likened to being hit by a Mack Truck.

“His mom and dad were bawling on the phone,” Caralla recalled. “He was bawling. He didn’t expect it at all. We didn’t do that a lot here. We did it in front of a team meeting, which was the first time we’d done that here in three years. It was a big deal. Jack, he earned every bit of everything he got.”

Coco will battle incumbent Steven Wirtel to be Green Bay’s long snapper this season. Coco was not the snapper on the punt team during his career at Georgia Tech and didn’t snap at all in a game last season.

Still, he apparently showed enough at the Packers’ rookie minicamp, which was held on May 6-7, to merit an opportunity.

“Now he’s fighting on a 90-man roster, which I think is just incredible,” Caralla said.

The Too-Early Packers Roster Projection

With the NFL Draft complete, here's a look at the Green Bay Packers' 90-man roster and what the final 53 might look like.

Quarterbacks

In (2): Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love.

Out (2): Kurt Benkert, Danny Etling.

Watch out for: Etling, if only because he’s the fresh face and took better care of the football in college than Benkert.

Early viewpoint: There’s no reason to keep three quarterbacks on the roster and it’s hard to see any team wanting to trade for Love.

Pictured: Aaron Rodgers (USA Today Sports Images)

Running Backs

In (3): Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor.

Out (3): Kylin Hill (PUP), B.J. Baylor, Tyler Goodson.

Watch out for: Baylor led the Pac-12 in rushing in 2021. According to Pro Football Focus, he forced 57 missed tackles on 227 carries compared to 38 missed tackles on 256 carries by Goodson. Then again, Goodson caught 31 passes with one drop compared to eight catches and two drops by Baylor.

Early viewpoint: Hill suffered a torn ACL at Arizona on Oct. 28. If he’s not ready, who will be the No. 3 back? Taylor perhaps changed the path of his career during the Week 18 game at Detroit, when he rushed 11 times for 53 yards and one touchdown.

Pictured: Patrick Taylor (USA Today Sports Images)

Receivers

In (7): Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Sammy Watkins, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure.

Out (3): Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor, Danny Davis.

Watch out for: The rookies, obviously. The Packers invested heavily at receiver and they'll need an immediate payoff if they're going to remain legitimate NFL championship contenders.

Early viewpoint: Watkins, the fourth pick of the 2014 draft and the lone veteran addition to a group sent reeling by the trade of Adams, isn’t a lock to make the roster. The development of the rookies will have a role in determining if Watkins is simply Devin Funchess 2.0. The Packers moved Rico Gafford to cornerback, where he played in college, but he still could get some action at receiver.

Pictured: Chris Blair (USA Today Sports Images)

Tight Ends

In (4): Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Davis, Josiah Deguara.

Out (3): Dominique Dafney, Alize Mack, Eli Wolf.

Watch out for: Davis played 111 snaps last season. While he caught only four passes, Gutekunst said, “I think we might have something there.” Mack, a seventh-round pick by the Saints in 2019, hasn’t played in an NFL game but looked good at the rookie camp.

Early viewpoint: Tonyan suffered a torn ACL at Arizona on Oct. 28. If he’s not ready for Week 1, he should be close so the guess is he’ll make the opening 53. It’s a quality group of role players that really needs Tonyan to return to his 2020 form.

Pictured: Tyler Davis (USA Today Sports Images)

Offensive Line

In (8): LT David Bakhtiari, LG Jon Runyan, C Josh Myers, RG Royce Newman, RT Yosh Nijman, T/G Sean Rhyan, OL Zach Tom, T Rasheed Walker.

Out (7): G/T Elgton Jenkins (PUP), C Jake Hanson, C Michal Menet, C Cole Schneider, G George Moore, T Caleb Jones, G/T Cole Van Lanen.

Watch out for: Schneider was a four-year starter at Central Florida who did not allow a sack as a senior. Could he be Lucas Patrick 2.0 as an undrafted free agent who found a home as a versatile interior lineman?

Early viewpoint: The Packers took nine blockers into the regular season last year but the position versatility of Rhyan (at guard and tackle) and Tom (at all five positions) could allow the Packers to save a roster spot for elsewhere. Jenkins suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 21. It’s unlikely he’ll be ready for Week 1 but maybe he’ll be far enough along in his recovery to make the 53.

Pictured: Elgton Jenkins (USA Today Sports Images)

Defensive Line

In (5): Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Devonte Wyatt, Jarran Reed, T.J. Slaton.

Out: (4) Jonathan Ford, Jack Heflin, Akial Byers, Hauati Pututau.

Watch out for: It was only a rookie minicamp. And it wasn’t live competition in the trenches. But the 26-year-old Pututau showed his strength by pushing around some of the young offensive linemen.

Early viewpoint: The additions of the veteran Reed and the rookie Wyatt have changed the face of the defensive line. This has the makings of being a really strong unit to join with excellent starters at the other positions.

Pictured: Kenny Clark (USA Today Sports Images)

Outside Linebackers

In (6): Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Kingsley Enagbare, Randy Ramsey, Tipa Galeai.

Out (3): La’Darius Hamilton, Kobe Jones, Chauncey Manac.

Watch out for: As a sixth-year super-senior, Manac recorded 10.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for losses for Louisiana in 2021.

Early viewpoint: Enagbare tested horribly at the Scouting Combine (and even worse at pro day) but he looked athletic enough at rookie camp. If you want a rookie-camp overreaction, Enagbare could be a big-time steal. Ramsey, who missed last season with an ankle injury, and Galeai need to be assets on special teams.

Pictured: Kingsley Enagbare (USA Today Sports Images)

Inside Linebackers

In (5): De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, Krys Barnes, Isaiah McDuffie, Ellis Brooks,

Out (3): Ty Summers, Caliph Brice, Ray Wilborn.

Watch out for: Brooks, a productive starter at Penn State, went undrafted but showed some real potential during rookie camp. His instincts seem on-point and he comes with a reputation for being a hitter.

Early viewpoint: At the top of the depth chart, Campbell and Walker could be superb together. At the bottom of the depth chart, holdovers McDuffie and Summers and youngsters Brooks and Wilborn will battle for the last spot or two.

Pictured: Quay Walker (USA Today Sports Images)

Cornerbacks

In (6): Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Keisean Nixon, TBA.

Out (4): Kabion Ento, Rico Gafford, Raleigh Texada, Kiondre Thomas.

Watch out for: Ento seemingly has been in Green Bay for a decade. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he spent 2019 on the practice squad, 2020 on injured reserve and 2021 on the practice squad. A former receiver, his athleticism has stood out on a number of occasions.

Early viewpoint: Maybe Jean-Charles or one of the other young cornerbacks will step to the forefront. But, as it stands now, the depth is perilous. Starting with the trade of Josh Jackson to the Giants for Isaac Yiadom during training camp last summer, Gutekunst tried and tried again to find competent depth. That might be the recipe again.

RELATED: Rico Gafford returns to defense

Pictured: Kabion Ento (USA Today Sports Images)

Safeties

In (4): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Tariq Carpenter, Shawn Davis.

Out (3): Vernon Scott, Innis Gaines, Tre Sterling.

Watch out for: Gaines was a great story last summer, having gone from DoorDash to making a dash for the roster. He lost out to Scott for a roster spot, but Scott spent his second NFL season with his butt glued to the bench.

Early viewpoint: The starting duo is tremendous. The depth? Questionable, at best. Carpenter, a seventh-round pick, has the tools. Davis was a fifth-round pick by Indianapolis in 2021 who played in one game for the Packers. Same as last year, if the Packers want to use Savage in the slot, they need to have a competent player to step in at safety.

Pictured: Innis Gaines (USA Today Sports Images)

Specialists

In (3): K Mason Crosby, P Pat O’Donnell, LS Steven Wirtel.

Out (3): K JJ Molson, K Dominik Eberle, LS Jack Coco.

Watch out for: Whoever the Packers sign to challenge Wirtel.

Early viewpoint: Eberle has experience with new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and boasts a strong leg, but Crosby is the heavy favorite to keep his job after a poor season.

Pictured: Mason Crosby (USA Today Sports Images)