Oct. 15, 1999
by Paul Camarata
Against the blue of his jersey the long, tall No. 1 creates a stark contrast.
Like a marble Roman column upon which an entire building depends, it is a pillar of confidence and strength. Appropriately, the man who wears it for the Irish this season provides no less support.
John Delvecchio Cooper’s frame is explosive and fleet and his presence is conspicuous to all Irish fans on nearly every defensive play.
When they cheer his poised coverage and rattling hits, though, the player would much rather they used his more well-known moniker.
“Actually, my real first name is Jonathan, but I don’t like that name so I stick with Deke,” Cooper says with a smile.
By any name, Cooper has indeed been sticking his opponents for the better part of his Notre Dame career. The 6-2, 225-pound free safety has earned a reputation as one of the fiercest hitters on the defense. His punishing tackles have helped make the Irish secondary more than slightly intimidating.
“I don’t think anybody else in the secondary has my size,” says Cooper. “I bring my size and my speed to the safety position.”
The combination has not been lost on gameday, particularly during the 1998 campaign. Among that season’s most memorable defensive moments was Cooper’s second-half, 96-yard fumble return for a touchdown from deep within Spartan territory.
While the play punctuated a game in which he also recorded 16 tackles, Cooper merely called it an “opportunity game,” as he started because of an injury to A’Jani Sanders.
In the fall’s final home game, Cooper forced a fumble that linebacker Lamont Bryant scampered in with for a touchdown against LSU. When the Irish battled in the scorching Tempe heat against Arizona State, Cooper had 10 tackles and ran an interception back for a 34-yard return.
But even more noteworthy than these was the staggering fourth-quarter hits Cooper laid on Boston College tailback Mike Cloud.
On fourth and the game, only six ticks of the clock remained when the Eagles lined up on the Irish one-yard line. The ball was snapped and Cloud saw daylight behind left guard until Cooper came crashing across the line to drop the imposing rusher for a one-yard loss.
Coming in a game which he did not start, the play helped earn him Compaq national defensive play-of-the-week honors. Despite such credentials, Cooper speaks softly about his seemingly inherent big-play capability.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s all me, I just happen to be in the right place at the right time,” says Cooper. “The Lord blessed me with a talent and I just try and use it to the best of my ability.”
The scope of that tackle was not lost on his teammates.
“Coach Davie always says that you don’t know who it’s going to be every week, well, on that day Deke Cooper saved our season,” says former Irish receiver Malcolm Johnson, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cooper shrugged off the tag of hero, but did call the play his biggest hit ever.
Cooper owns a crown of highlights, no doubt, yet these plays are only a few of the sparkles that the senior has amassed during his career. While appearing in 11 games as a junior, five of which he started, Cooper’s three forced fumbles led the Irish defense while his 78 tackles ranked him third on the squad. His 127 special-team appearances were fifth best on the team before he notched nine more in the Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech.
Cooper’s reputation traveled across the nation after his play of last year. He was ranked the eighth best free safety in the nation in The Sporting News preseason yearbook and 12th among all safeties in Lindy’s.
But the progress and versatility evident on every Irish defensive series are the culmination of hard work and experience. During the 1997 regular season, Cooper’s 192 special-team appearances were seven more than any other player. His defensive role as a sophomore was primarily in reserve, though he did manage to earn substantial playing time backing up Jarvis Edison and Sanders.
Cooper’s freshman season was highlighted by six starting assignments and another 152 plays on special teams. His three interceptions that year were second only to secondary stalwart Benny Guilbeaux. Cooper’s auspicious beginning is even more impressive when his path to Notre Dame is considered. It was not until late in his high school that he chose the Fighting Irish, and even then the position he would play for the team was uncertain.
“I hadn’t even considered Notre Dame until my last college campus visit, but then I weighed my options and chose it for the tradition and the academics,” says Cooper. “I was a receiver coming out of high school, but the coaches told me when I came in that I could play receiver, defensive back or running back – whichever one became open. I came in knowing I had the possibility of moving to defense.”
He made his first start at free safety against Washington, only three weeks after changing from wideout his freshman year. Cooper worked tirelessly to learn the defensive schemes and personnel at that time, an effort for which he was lauded by the Irish players and coaches.
Though satisfied with his choice and accomplishments, the free safety has once again raised the standard of excellence for his final season with the Irish.
“I’d like to lead the team in interceptions,” says Cooper. “I don’t know if it’s a good sign for a free safety to lead the team in tackles, but I like to be up in the top three.”
The addition of assistant coach Lou West, who works with the secondary, to the Irish staff has helped foster Cooper’s composure. West’s no-nonsense approach has placed a great onus on the veteran members of the secondary to respond.
“Coach is laid back, but he treats us like adults,” says Cooper. “He’s not going to rant and rave and get hysterical. He’ll tell you how it has to be and you have to accept it.”
While his achievements on the field have stood out for the Irish during the past three seasons, Cooper’s experience outside Notre Dame Stadium has been equally as impressive.
Cooper, a sociology major, has worked as hard in the classroom as he has on the playing field, if not harder.
“Perseverance is a word I would use to describe Deke,” says head coach Bob Davie. “He has worked very hard here and has had academic success – that’s the biggest thing.”
From Davie’s standpoint, the example Cooper has set in the classroom imparts an invaluable lesson on the younger members of the team.
On the field, the head coach views Cooper as no less of a role model.
“He’s got a lot of range and he’ll hit you,” says Davie. “He’s got good ball skills. Every day he practices hard and he’s an upbeat guy. I enjoy coaching Deke as much as any guy I’ve coached.”
On setting an example, Cooper mentions a legacy of the same qualities that Davie has observed in his free safety.
“A lot of freshmen haven’t played yet this year, but I tell them they’re going to get their chances,” says Cooper. “Just know your checks, know your assignments so if you do get thrown into the fire, you’ll be fine.”
The challenges which have surfaced this fall for the Notre Dame team are precisely what player of Cooper’s stature thrives on.
“Everyone’s keeping their head up because they know we just have a couple of mistakes to fix,” says Cooper. “Everybody’s real positive.”
“The word leader is thrown around a lot but Deke certainly is a leader for this football team,” Davie says. “He’s always upbeat and always positive.”
By now, Cooper has accepted his diverse role on the team.
“There’s a lot of areas I’d like to improve in, especially athletically, but I wouldn’t say there’s any disappointments,” says Cooper
You can call him tough or physical, quiet or humble, experienced or poised. You can call him any combination of the above actually but. please, make sure you call him Deke.