Cooper's Staying Says Huge Things About Pelini

Husker fans from all over and from all ages--including this Old Husker Fan--are justifiably pleased-- and in this dog's opinion should be thrilled--over Khiry Cooper's decision to stay with the Big Red.

Just to be sure we're all together on the background--Khiry Cooper is a wide receiver/kick returner from Louisiana who was also a 5th round major league baseball draft choice (Angels). He'd been with our boys in Lincoln practicing, but the Angels had until midnight last Friday night August 15 to sign him to a big league contract. They couldn't come to terms. The Angels said that Cooper's demands were too high.

We'll never know the details. That's OK. Cooper was the 169th player taken overall. His signing bonus would probably have ranged in the $150-200K area. That's not a lot of money, but still--if someone would have offered me that kind of change when I was 18, I probably would have taken it up "yesterday. "

At any rate, young Mr. Cooper's hanging around Lincoln is HUGE for the Huskers--and it says some very telling things about Bo Pelini's program.

Let's get to the team stuff. This boy legs out a 4.4 or 4.5 40. He's 6-2 weighs 180. That's very usable speed and size. Plus, he's got good hands--he was a centerfield prospect for the Angels in baseball, and says he's going to try doubling up on baseball at Nebraska.

What a combo kind of guy! I may be dreaming a bit here, but I have visions of another Irving Fryar-type guy out on the flank. Wouldn't THAT be a hit?

Now, all the above is fairly common knowledge. But--here's another angle to this little tale that I think is significant. Again--we don't know exactly what the Angels offered Mr. Cooper. But the fact is--he had a chance to leave the Huskers after practice began. Let me say this again--Khiry Cooper had the chance to leave the Huskers after practice began.

In other words, there was a period of time after fall camp got underway--with a week of two-a-days thrown in--that one could say was a tryout for Bo Pelini as much as it was practice for this hotshot freshman from Louisiana.

Think about it. This kid may not have been quite the talent that Carl Crawford (now an All-Star left fielder for the Rays) was coming out of high school, but he was still good enough to be drafted--and pursued--by a Major League Baseball team. If he didn't like what was going on in Lincoln, there was nothing to prevent him from saying, "Ciao--hasta la vista y'all" by last Friday.

Where I'm going with this thought is---the fact that Khiry Cooper said, "No, thanks" to the Angels to me means that he liked what he saw and experienced in Lincoln with Coach Pelini, Coach Gilmore (wideout coach), the offensive scheme run by Shawn Watson--the whole shootin' match. That says great things about what's happening with the program.

To me, Bo Pelini was effectively recruiting Khiry Cooper all the way until Friday night August 15th. It was successful. And that says volumes about the potential for future successes, both in recruiting, and in developing the team on the field. Khiry Cooper saw--and liked--both sides of Bo Pelini--recruiter and coach. We can, too.

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan