Blue White Illustrated

L ike his classmates, Penn State recruit Jake Cooper is in the midst of one of the most grueling workout regimens of his life. Now that he's signed and set to enroll at Penn State this summer, Cooper is per- forming workouts that were designed by Dwight Galt and the Nittany Lion strength sta5. Su6ce it to say, he's taken things up a notch. And the Penn State-approved workouts are not the only steps Cooper is taking to prepare himself for his 4rst season with the Nittany Lions. He's also gone back to training for a sport at which he shined as a youngster. "I've been boxing ever since I was 4," he said. "I can't even lie, ever since I was really young, I've been throwing three- piece combinations. People always joke that I was just a little 4-year-old throwing wild punches, but I was fully trained and everything. "I got away from that when football started, mainly because it's a lot of work and I didn't want to wear myself out. But now I've gotten back into it and it feels good to be back in the gym and working the bags. It's a great foundation to have in life. Outside of all the physical strength that comes out of it, mentally, it's also good for you. If you know how to 4ght, I feel like it makes you a strong person over- all. Not just physically, but mentally. There are a lot of tactics involved, and football is kind of similar. You always have to think a few moves ahead in boxing, and it's also like that at linebacker." Those who know Cooper's family history won't be surprised to learn that he's gone back to sparring and hitting the bags. His father, Mike Cooper, was once a profes- sional boxer. He made it to the USA Boxing National Championships in 1987, and al- though he fell short in his bid to qualify for the '88 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the family's passion for the sport runs deep. However, football will always be Jake Cooper's favorite, and with good reason. After taking over the starting middle linebacker spot for Archbishop Wood as a junior – he had started on the varsity team his freshman and sophomore sea- sons but played on the defensive line – he totaled more than 300 tackles, 13 sacks and seven turnovers. All this while serving as a two-year captain for the best high school football team in Penn- sylvania. "High school was the greatest time in my life," Cooper said. "We won three state titles and I played in all four. That's amaz- ing when you really think about it. Going to Wood really was the best decision of my life. Going there is what really helped me get to Penn State. Looking back, it's de4nitely been the best four years of my life. I learned so much. We had so many high moments, but we even had a few low moments at times, and that stu5 made me who I am. "To be able to have that experience under my belt is incredible. The tremendous coaching that I got at Wood really allowed me to maximize my potential, and I really Cooper aims to stay 'a few moves ahead' | CLICK HERE to see video of Cooper in action. U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L THE COOPER FILE STATS Started all four years at Archbish- op Wood, helping the Vikings win three PIAA Class AAA championships... Fin- ished with 152 tackles, six sacks and an interception as a junior... Had 149 tackles, seven sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble re- coveries as a senior... Played tight end his senior year and finished with 320 receiving yards and seven touch- downs HONORS Named a three-star recruit, as well as the 19th-best player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com... Made the Pennsylvania Football Writers' Class AAA All-State team Rivals.com

• Cover