BURBANK, Calif. -- Washington has a lot of youth on its team this season, but it has an experienced weapon in running back Deontae Cooper, who’s entering his sixth fall camp with the Huskies.
Cooper, who has had an injury-riddled career with the Huskies, was granted two extra years of eligibility by the NCAA, making him a sixth-year junior.
He’s such a veteran that he was on the team with Jake Locker. Yes, the Jake Locker who’s now retired from football.
He’s such a veteran that he remembers his hardest college hit coming from Mason Foster, a former Washington teammate who was drafted in 2011 and now lays hits on the Chicago Bears’ opponents in the NFL.
And since he’s such a veteran, the Pac-12 Blog figured he’d be the best person to give some Pac-12 freshmen a bit of advice on entering their first fall camps with their respective teams.
1. Take it one day at a time. “Most guys get caught up looking at the calendar and saying, ‘Man.’ But if you look at it one day at a time, it makes the days go by faster. That’s kind of how I’ve approached it. … It makes the days easier and it makes the days go by faster.”
2. Get a lot of sleep. For this, Cooper recommends naps. “You need your naps. Naps are important.”
3. Use your days off as days off. “Get away from football. Do something, but stay off your feet. If you’ve got to be lazy all day, then be lazy all day.”
4. Eat ice cream. “Ice cream makes you feel good. It’ll change your mood.”
5. Be serious about post/pre-practice treatment. “Stay in the cold tubs. They’ll help you feel good.”
6. Always go home and tell someone you love them. Because, of course.
