5 STAR KICKING – JIM COOPER SR.

 

JIM BEGAN KICKING IN THE SIXTH GRADE  AND WAS VIRTUALLY SELF TAUGHT.  “THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS A KICKING COACH WHEN I WAS YOUNG”.  AFTER KICKING FOR MAINLAND REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL AND SETTING VIRTUALLY EVERY KICKING RECORD JIM EARNED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO KICK FOR TEMPLE UNIVERSITY.  A THREE YEAR STARTER JIM KICKED TWO GAME WINNING FIELD GOALS TO BEAT THE PITT PANTHERS AND THE MOUNTAINEERS OF WEST VIRGINIA.  AFTER COLLEGE JIM WAS DRAFTED BY THE NOW DEFUNCT P.S.F.L. (PROFESSIONAL SPRING FOOTBALL LEAGUE) BUT CHOSE NOT TO ACCEPT A CONTRACT, IRONICALLY, AS THE LEAGUE FOLDED 1 WEEK PRIOR TO TRAINING CAMP.  

JIM THEN HAD A TRYOUT WITH THE OAKLAND RAIDERS OF THE NFL BUT ALSO DECLINED AS THE TRYOUT WAS BOOKED FOR THE SAME DAY AS HIS DAUGHTER’S SCHEDULED  BIRTH.  “THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL :  PRO BALL WAS NOT MEANT TO BE”.  AS IT TURNS OUT  JIM SR. PLAYED A BRIEF STINT WITH THE ATLANTIC CITY CARDSHARKS OF THE NATIONAL INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE, WHICH SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS AFTER 1 SEASON.  “AT AGE 41 MY PRO CAREER STARTED AND ENDED IN JUST 3 WEEKS!”    

JIM’S REAL PASSION IS WORKING WITH YOUNG KICKERS AND PUNTERS.  COACHING AT HIS ALMA MATER MAINLAND REGIONAL SINCE 1995 HE HAS DEVELOPED SOME OF THE FINEST KICKERS TO COME OUT OF SOUTH JERSEY.  THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS 19 + YEAR CAREER WAS COACHING HIS SON JIM COOPER JR.  “COOP ” THE SON BROKE EVERYONE  OF DAD’S SCHOOL RECORDS AND SET A NEW JERSEY RECORD FOR MOST FIELD GOALS IN A CAREER WITH 31. COOP THEN EARNED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO PLAY FOR THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY OWLS AS WELL AS BEING NAMED AS THE EAST KICKER FOR THE 2013 US  ARMY ALL AMERICAN GAME IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS.