EXCLUSIVE: Omar Cooper Jr. spoke to The Mirror US about the first touchdown of his NFL career and his burgeoning relationship with Geno Smith after suffering a frustrating injury
Omar Cooper Jr. returned from injury to star for the Jets in the defeat to the Patriots last week
Omar Cooper Jr. returned from injury to star for the Jets in the defeat to the Patriots last week(Image: Getty Images)
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Omar Cooper Jr. is up and running in the NFL.
Against the New England Patriots, the New York Jets were finally able to use one of their most exciting offensive weapons. Cooper had been out since sustaining an ankle injury in Week 1 that landed him on the injured list, but the first-round rookie made waves in his first game back.
Cooper hauled in six receptions for 103 yards, including his first career touchdown on a 48-yard bomb from Geno Smith. As a result, the 22-year-old joined Kenyon Sadiq in becoming the only rookie teammates in NFL history to each have 100-yard receiving games in their first three career games.
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Having missed time early in the season, along with former Indiana teammate D'Angelo Ponds, Cooper has been itching to get back on the field. If the Patriots game is anything to go by, the Jets' offense was just as desperate to get him involved, too.
“It definitely sucks, but it just builds the fire,” Cooper told The Mirror U.S. “It makes you ready, more anxious to be out there, especially just after only being out there a bit in the first game.
“It really sucked to be out, but missing playing and seeing the team out there without you just makes you ready to hurry up, get back, and be able to do whatever I can. It felt good just being able to finally be back out there playing football again.”
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Omar Cooper Jr. celebrated with a roar in the end zone before embracing both Garrett Wilson and Geno Smith
Omar Cooper Jr. celebrated with a roar in the end zone before embracing both Garrett Wilson and Geno Smith (Image: Getty Images)
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One key element of a productive receiver is the relationship with the quarterback. Smith was in middle school when Cooper was born, and the receiver was 9 years old when the 36-year-old was initially drafted by the Jets in 2013.
Still, the generational divide is not proving to be an issue. When asked about his relationship with Smith, Cooper said: “It's been coming along really well. I'm just excited to play with a guy like Geno. I used to watch him when he was at West Virginia, and he had Tavon Austin, so that’s crazy. I told him that, which I think made him feel a little bit old.
“But it’s just been coming along good. I'm just trying to make sure that I continue to be in the right places so that he can continue to trust me.”
Their strong relationship was on display in the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Smith wound up a deep bomb that found the streaking Cooper in stride, combining for his first career touchdown coming at the home of a divisional rival.
“They were in like cover four, and that was what we were hoping they would be in once we were drawing that play up,” Cooper recalled. “So Garrett [Wilson], he ran like a deep out, got the safety’s attention for just the amount of time that he needed, and then I just had to do my job to get across the other safety’s face and get ready for the ball.
Just a great feeling to score, but the game didn't go the way I wanted it to, or the way we wanted it to. So now we're just trying to focus on changing that and getting ready for this weekend.”
The 2-4 Jets take on the 0-5 Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium in Week 7 on Sunday, Oct. 25.