Nebraska wide receiver Khiry Cooper will join Tulsa this summer after spending the last four years in the Huskers’ program. Cooper will be eligible immediately. He’ll be a graduate transfer after earning his degree in May and will pursue a master’s degree at TU.
Cooper became acquainted with Bill Blankenship and his family during his high school days playing at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, La. Cooper played baseball with Derek Blankenship, the son of Rex Blankenship and nephew of Bill Blankenship.
Cooper, who wanted to play closer to home and in a system that suits him, chose Tulsa over Texas Tech, LSU and Louisiana Tech. He said TU was the best fit for him.
Cooper – a fifth-round MLB Draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2008 – played three seasons of baseball at Nebraska, but a foot injury that occurred during last season’s Penn State game forced him to miss this year.
Cooper rejoins TU quarterback Cody Green, who played two years at Nebraska. The two share a college football highlight: Green’s first touchdown pass was to Cooper, who only has one scoring reception during his career. Cooper has 21 career catches for 140 yards.
He started four games in 2009, but only played six games in 2010. He saw action in nine games in 2011 and started against Penn State, catching four passes for 60 yards before the season-ending injury.
Here’s a Q and A with Cooper:
Tulsa World: What sparked your decision to transfer?
Khiry Cooper: I just wanted to go to somewhere closer to home for my last year and get a different feel for a different offense, something similar to what I was used to in high school. Tulsa had both of those things. It was something I prayed about … a lot of things worked out.
TW: You attended last Saturday’s spring game. What were your impressions?
KC: I was pretty impressed with everything, from the coaching staff and getting to know those guys. I got to know Coach (Greg) Peterson and the guys and teammates and had a chance to see the facilities. The academics, especially with going to grad school, were important to me. The spring game was cool and I was excited to see the offense facilitate.
TW: Were you good friends with Cody Green at Nebraska?
KC: I know Cody pretty well. We had a couple of classes together at Nebraska and played together. I had a connection with Cody. I actually caught my only touchdown from him when Cody threw his first touchdown. It was against Texas Tech.
TW: Are you going to miss playing baseball?
KC: I played all three years and the only reason I didn’t play this year was I got hurt during football season and have spent the past four months rehabbing. I’ve been to a lot of the home games and it’s hard to sit and watch … It’s pretty tough, but I made the decision to put everything into football and see where God leads me.
TW: How do you think you will fit in to Tulsa’s offense?
KC: The players they have already have tremendous talent and I hope to be an asset to them. I want to bring a little leadership. (The current players) will teach me a lot of things along with Coach Peterson … they are very talented and detail-oriented. Hopefully I can came in and compete a bit.
TW: What schools did you consider besides Tulsa?
KC: I was looking at a couple of other schools - Texas Tech, Louisiana Tech and LSU … those were the main ones. I was looking at schools close (to home) and Texas Tech is where my girlfriend is from … Tulsa ended up for best fit.
