Riley Cooper, a receiver from Florida, who has made plans to play baseball for the Rangers in Texas has decided to return to the football field for a senior playing season.
Urban Meyer, coach for the Florida Gators, made the announcement regarding Cooper's decision on this past Tuesday.
This was welcomed news for Florida, as their biggest challenge during the fall season is going to be to replace two lost lead receivers, Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin.
According to Urban Meyer, he is going to be relied on heavily as a go-to receiver. Urban Meyer has been long been looking for someone that can step up now that Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin are departing. Nobody has stepped up yet, but it is said that Riley can definitely be someone that can.
Cooper was a starter in 12 games for the Gators, which went on to be national champions during the last football season. He managed to catch 18 passes for a total of 261 yards and a total of three touchdowns. He has had a total of 30 receptions in his career for a total of 535 yards with nine scores. He is also the roommate of quarterback Tim Tebow.
There was a very real chance that Cooper may spurn Florida in favor of a major league baseball career. The Rangers decided to draft him during the 25th round in the amateur baseball draft in June. He spent a good part of the summer playing alongside the McKinney Marshals from the Texas Collegiate League.
Cooper says that the decision was tough for him to make, perhaps one of the hardest he's ever made, but he is excited about both playing as part of the Texas Rangers Organization and also returning to play a senior season with the Florida Gators. Two weeks ago, the personnel with the Rangers gave him a tour of the Arlington ball park.
Cooper had been initially drafted into the 15th round by the Phillies in Philadelphia in 2006. He chose to play with the Florida Gators instead of pursuing his baseball career at that time.
Meyer allowed Cooper to skip out on spring practice this year so that he could join the baseball team. Cooper hit two home runs with .247, eight runs batted in and three bases stolen in a span of thirty games. In 89 at-bats, he struck out 41 times.
Meyers knows that Riley is an extremely talented athlete. He has the speed, size and the strength that are needed to create a rough match up for most defenses. The entire offense for the Gators is going to be predicated on problems with matchups for the defense. Luckily, Riley is going to be able to do this for the team because he is renowned for being a big time playmaker.
The NCAA rules have allowed for student athletes to go professional in a sport while they maintain eligibility in a different sport. Former Florida QB Doug Johnson, for example, spent four years playing for the Gators even after he had signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Tebow is applauding the decision that Cooper has made.
Photo Credits: Stephen M. Dowell, Orlando Sentinel / April 12, 2008
Related Posts -
Florida Gators Visor Coaches at the University of Florida wear visors on their heads when they're on the sidelines, and so can you. If you're a fan of the Florida Gators, why not acquire your very own Florida Gators visor? The benefit of having a Florida Gators visor is threefold. Not only will...... -
Game Preview: Florida Gators vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Turnovers are Sticking in the Mind of Urban Meyer! With a game against Mississippi State pending, Urban Meyer is looking at the team's current capabilities to determine whether or not the Florida Gators are going to continue their winning streak for another round. In terms of the offense, the gators...... -
Eastern Division Florida Gators vs Western Division Alabama On December 5, 2009, the Eastern Division Florida Gators will face Western Division Alabama at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. This will be the 7th time since the championship began in 1992 that Alabama and Florida had met for this game. Of the 6 match ups to date,...... -
Gator Football Preview: LSU Tigers Surviving this first third of this season for college football has appeared to be something of an extended stand at the goal line for the country's top ten teams. Nine teams have already fallen during the first month of this exciting season, including three that fell just on Saturday...... -
The Florida Gators Win Against the Cincinnati Bearcats The Florida Gators defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats at the Louisiana Superdome on New Year's Day in the 76th annual Sugar Bowl. It was a strong comeback after their final season championship game loss to Alabama a month ago, and a decisive victory against the Bearcats with a whopping 51-24......
Related Websites -
Talking Baseball... Brett Gardner leads off the Grapefruit League season for the Yankees with a Homerun! I guess that settle's who the opening day center fielder will be. A-Rod hits an A-Bomb in the opener. Phil Hughes pitches two perfect innings. The Yankees are undefeated. Did someone way 162-0? Well, if they...... -
World Series Sports Memorabilia -> Fan Apparel & Souvenirs -> World Series Even someone who knows very little about sports most likely knows what the World Series is all about, because it's heavily advertised and almost impossible to avoid during the fall. The World Series is Major League Baseball's championship series,...... -
BCS football- Ranking the decade’s national champions [/caption] Where does Alabama rank among the national champions from the past 10 seasons? Not at the top, that’s for sure. But not at the bottom, either. Here’s the Hotline rankings of the decade’s national champions. Please note: * There are 11 teams listed because I’ve included USC ‘03, which...... - New Orleans Stays Unbeaten With Win Over Miami With an offense that can strike as quickly as the New Orleans Saints', they're never out of a game. The Miami Dolphins found that out the hard way on Sunday as the Saints came roaring back from a 21 point deficit to win going away 46-34. Drew Brees threw......
- College Football Flashback: 2008 SEC Championship Game The Florida Gators would go on to win the NCAA Football Championship, but it was a 31-20 victory over #1 ranked Alabama in the SEC championship game that got them there. The Gators scored-- 4th quarter points to secure victory in a contest that was an epic struggle for......
- Jerseys Texas Rangers Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
- Caps, Hats Texas Rangers Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
- Photos, Prints Texas Rangers Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
- Shirts Texas Rangers Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
- Jackets Texas Rangers Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
Categories:
Florida Gators Football, Gator News, Players, Receiver, Riley Cooper
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment