Packers’ Hidden Gem: Frosty’s Dad Emerges as Team’s Newest Star
Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia called Edgerrin Cooper a “ball magnet” on Friday.
Well, that’s not what he calls Cooper.
“I call him Frosty,” Bisaccia said. “That’s kind of his nickname. You can ask him if he wants to tell you why.”
As Cooper walked to his locker after Saturday’s practice, the final one before Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, reporters were eager for an explanation.
“It’s the name of my horse,” Cooper said. “Since I got here, he’s been naming me Frosty.”
Cooper grew up in Covington, La., where some of his childhood friends had horses. A second-round pick by the Packers in this year’s draft, Cooper bought a couple horses upon arriving in Green Bay.
“God blessed me in this position, so I was able to get my own,” he said.
For now, Frosty and Cinco are just pets.
“They’re all looking good in the front yard,” Cooper said.
There’s no time for horseback riding now. Not with the Packers looking to ride Cooper deep into the playoffs.
After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Cooper returned with a bang last week against Seattle. Officially, he had five tackles on defense, two tackles on special teams – three, Bisaccia was quick to correct – one sack, one interception and two passes defensed to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The award has been handed out since 1984. Cooper became just the fifth player to win it twice as a rookie.
“There was a lot that was impressive about him,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “One, he hadn’t practiced very much, and he just makes a lot of splash plays. You see how fast he is. He’s a great tackler, he’s a great blitzer. He should’ve had two interceptions in the game.
“His ability to close – there was a screen that was thrown, he was like 8 yards away from it and, by the time the guy caught the ball, he was right there. He can eat up the grass really fast. Sometimes, he might not be in the right position, but he has that ability to make up for it. So, the more he learns and the better he gets, he’s going to get better and better and better.”
Cooper’s numbers are a lot better than that with 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and one interception.
“I just like to go out there and make big plays,” he said. “It’s just in me. I’m just trying to keep getting better and better every single day.”
Cooper’s big plays against the Seahawks were truly big. He had a third-down sack on the opening series, which helped set the stage for the Packers to take a quick 14-0 lead. His third-quarter hit on Geno Smith ended the veteran quarterback’s night. His fourth-quarter interception set up the offense for the clinching score.
