#54 Stephen Cooper | LB

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Signed with Chargers as undrafted rookie, May 2, 2003…re-signed April 1, 2005…signed one-year contract March 23, 2006.

2007: Led team with 12 tackles in season opening win over Chicago…had hand in two second-half turnovers with fumble recovery on Chicago’s opening drive of third quarter and forced fumble on Bears’ opening drive of fourth…forced fumble was recovered by safety Clinton Hart and eight plays later, Tomlinson scored on seven-yard run to give Bolts final points in 14-3 win…for second week in row, led team in tackles, racking up 12 stops Week 2 at New England…led team with 10 stops Week 3 at Green Bay…backed up Green Bay effort with another 10-tackle game Week 4 vs. Kansas City…collected eight-yard sack of Jay Cutler midway through fourth quarter of 41-3 win at Denver Oct. 7…recorded 10-tackle game Week 6 vs. Oakland…collected second interception of career and first since 2003 with late third-quarter pick off Sage Rosenfels in Texans’ game Oct. 28…interception at San Diego’s 10-yard line and was part of big game for Cooper in which he tied Clinton Hart and Matt Wilhelm for team high with 12 stops, including second-quarter shared tackle for loss (-2 yards) with Luis Castillo…second on squad with 11 stops Week 8 at Minnesota…paced unit with career-high 19 tackles Week 9 vs. Indianapolis on NBC’s Sunday Night Football…led team with 10 tackles, including two for loss, Nov. 25 vs. Baltimore…late third-quarter tackle for loss (-3) on second-down play helped force end to drive on downs…led squad with 16 stops Dec. 2 at K.C…also had eight-yard sack early in third quarter on Chiefs QB Damon Huard…led team with 10 tackles Dec. 16 against Detroit and intercepted fourth quarter pass that Chargers converted into final touchdown in 51-14 win…led team with 16 tackles and forced fumble by Dominic Rhodes at Oakland Dec. 30…led team with 12 tackles in AFC Wild Card Playoff win over Tennessee Jan. 6…paced squad with 18 tackles in Jan. 13 AFC Divisional Playoff win over Indianapolis…led team with nine tackles and shared eight-yard sack with Igor Olshansky midway through fourth quarter of Jan. 20 AFC Championship Game at New England.

2006: Played Weeks 1-16...started against Cleveland, Denver, at Seattle and vs. Arizona for Randall Godfrey...closed out 27-0 win at Oakland with late fourth-quarter six-yard sack of Andrew Walter...Week 3 at Baltimore, tackled Daniel Wilcox at one-yard line and forced fumble to prevent potential score...ball was recovered by Donnie Edwards...tallied season-high eight tackles and tied team-high with two special teams stops in Nov. 12 win at Cincinnati...turned in stellar performance against Denver Dec. 10 while starting for injured Godfrey...led team with nine tackles, including eight-yard sack, and made two spectacular pass breakups in open field...both pass breakups occurred during same second-quarter drive when Chargers led 21-3 and they helped force Denver to punt...after punt, Bolts put together 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with touchdown for 28-3 lead...collected half-sack and tied for team high with 11 stops at Seattle Dec. 24...shared five-yard sack with Donnie Edwards on second-and-seven play in third quarter...collected lone stop for one-yard loss late in fourth quarter of AFC Playoff game vs. New England.

2005: Teamed with Donnie Edwards for big third-and-one stop at five-yard line on opening series of game to hold New York Giants to field goal in Sept. 25 ESPN Sunday Night Football game…started Kansas City game Oct. 30 for injured Randall Godfrey and racked up season-high eight tackles along with one-half sack…shared five-yard sack with Luis Castillo on Chiefs second offensive play of game…recorded eight tackles for second consecutive week in Chargers 31-26 win over New York Jets Nov. 6…collected one-yard sack late in fourth quarter of 48-10 win over Buffalo Nov. 20…racked up season-high three special teams tackles against Miami Dec. 11…turned in critical play that didn’t show up on stat sheets in 26-17 win at Indianapolis Dec. 18…with Bolts hanging on to narrow 19-17 lead in fourth quarter, pressured Peyton Manning and forced errant throw that drew intentional grounding penalty when Colts had advanced as far as Chargers’ 23-yard line…on following play, Manning was sacked for three-yard loss, taking them out of field goal range and forcing punt…after punt went for touchback, Michael Turner took carry 83 yards for touchdown to put final points on board in victory…recorded tackle for loss at Kansas City Dec. 24.

2004: Spelled injured Randall Godfrey against New York Jets Sept. 19 and led team with nine tackles including one for loss…named Chargers Alumni Player of Week following Jets game…recovered fumbled caused by Steve Foley in third quarter versus New Orleans Nov. 7…tied for team high with two tackles on special teams against Denver Dec. 5…started Tampa Bay game Dec. 12 as team opened with extra linebacker…started against Kansas City Jan. 2 at inside linebacker and had seven tackles…led team with two stops on special teams and added tackle on defense in Wild Card Playoff game vs. New York.

2003: Tied for fifth on team with eight special teams tackles…racked up two special teams tackles against Minnesota Nov. 9…recorded first-career interception Dec. 14 off Green Bay’s Brett Favre after pass was tipped by Donnie Edwards…returned interception 25 yards to set up LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown on ensuing drive…tallied first-career sack and career-best three tackles at Pittsburgh Dec. 21.

COLLEGE: Atlantic-10 Conference Defensive Player of Year in 2002…recipient of George H. “Bulger” Lowe award from Gridiron Club of Greater Boston as top defensive football player in New England…named All-America by Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and Sports Network as senior…named conference’s Defensive Player of Week after 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss performance in win over Rhode Island…Atlantic-10 Co-Defensive Player of Year as junior…earned first-team All-America honors from Associated Press, second-team from Sports Network and third-team from Football Gazette…earned school’s Roger Ellis Rookie of Year Award in 1999…earned conference rookie of week honors after big game against James Madison…wrapped up career with 374 tackles, 57 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 25 sacks…played at Maine from 1999-2002…mass communications major.

PERSONAL: Born June 19, 1979 in Wareham, Massachusetts…linebacker and quarterback at Wareham High School…earned all-scholastic honors from Boston Globe and Boston Herald in football and basketball…set school scoring record in basketball…lettered in track.

In his first year as a starter, linebacker Stephen Cooper became one of the key cogs in the Chargers’ defense.

 

Unfortunately his second year as one of the team’s starting inside linebackers will be put on hold. In April, the NFL announced that Cooper will be suspended for the Chargers’ first four regular season games for violating the NFL’s Policy on Steroids and Related Substances. He will be missed.

 

In 2007, Cooper led the team with 179 tackles in the regular season and tallied double-digit tackle totals in 13 of the team’s 16 regular season games. He also paced the team in the playoffs with 38 total tackles and double digit tallies in two of the team’s three playoff games, including 18 against Indianapolis in the Divisional Playoffs.

 

Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith had a feeling that Cooper was on the fast track to a breakout season and the Bolts inked him to a new five-year deal in 2007 before the season even started. It was quite a climb for a player who originally found his way to the NFL as an undrafted rookie from the University of Maine.

 

Cooper enjoys playing basketball and spending time with his son, Koby, and daughter, Karis. Stephen is the third-oldest of five children and he often returns to his native Wareham, Mass. to visit his family. Cooper was a quarterback in high school and led Wareham to a Super Bowl championship in 1995. In 2006, the school retired his No. 4 jersey during the Chargers’ bye week and Cooper attended the ceremony. As a collegian at the University of Maine, Cooper switched to defense as a linebacker and went on to become the Atlantic-10 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.

 

Stephen is the first member of the Cooper family to graduate from college. He has already decided that when the time comes to hang up his football helmet, he would like to pursue a career in teaching and coaching.