Frosty’s father, Edgerrin Cooper, is emerging as a star for the Packers

On December 24, 2024By Littum

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia called Edgerrin Cooper a “ball magnet” on Friday.

Well, that’s not what he calls Cooper.

“I call him Frosty,” Bisaccia said. “It’s like his nickname. You can ask him if he’ll tell you why.”

When Cooper went to his locker after Saturday’s practice, the last before Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, reporters were eager for an explanation.

“That’s the name of my horse,” Cooper said. “Since I got here, he’s been calling me Frosty.”

Cooper grew up in Covington, La., where some of his childhood friends had horses. Another pick of the Packers in this year’s draft, Cooper bought a pair of horses upon arriving in Green Bay.

“God blessed me in this position so I was able to get my own,” he said.

For now, Frosty and Cinco are just pets.

“They all look great in the front yard,” Cooper said.

There is no time for riding now. Not with the Packers looking to ride Cooper deep into the playoffs.

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Cooper returned with a bang last week against Seattle. Officially, he had five tackles on defense, two tackles on special teams — three, Bisaccia was quick to correct — a sack, an interception and two passes defensed to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The prize has been awarded since 1984. Cooper became just the fifth player to win it twice as a rookie.

“There was a lot that was impressive about him,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “The one, he hadn’t practiced very much and he just makes a lot of splash plays. You can see how fast he is. He’s a great tackler, he’s a great blitzer. He should have had two interceptions in the game.

“His ability to close — there was a screen that was thrown, he was 8 yards away from it and when the guy caught the ball, he was right there. He can eat the grass real quick. Sometimes he might not be in it right position, but he has that ability to make up for it. So the more he learns and the better he gets, he’s going to get better and better and better.”

That’s Cooper’s goal. Even while playing only about 36 percent of the defensive snaps, he is the only rookie in the NFL with at least 30 tackles, an interception and a sack.

Cooper’s numbers are much better than that with 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and an interception.

“I just like to go out there and make big plays,” he said. “It’s just in me. I’m just trying to get better and better every single day.”

Cooper’s big play against the Seahawks was really big. He had a third-down sack on the opening drive, which helped set the stage for the Packers to take a quick 14-0 lead. His third-quarter hit on Geno Smith ended the veteran quarterback’s night. His interception in the fourth quarter set the offense up for the clinching score.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Cooper said. “It’s that simple (and) I keep saying it, but I’m just here to play football, have fun out there and do what’s best for my team.”

Cooper was the first linebacker off the board in this year’s draft. The Packers had the 41st pick in the second round; they traded back four spots in a deal with the Saints, taking Cooper with the 45th pick.

He looks like an incredible difference maker and a building block player.

Defensively, despite barely playing to start the season and then missing three games, he is sixth on the team in tackles, fourth in sacks, tied for second in tackles for loss and second in passes defensed.

“The guy just has the ability to eat grass and run,” Hafley said. “The more he practices and he can stay healthy, he’s a guy you want to have on the field.”

The same applies to Bisaccia. According to his statistics, Cooper is no. 1 on the team in special teams tackles.

“He’s a ball magnet,” Bisaccia said. “That’s the best thing about him, I can say. Athletically, he does things that you really can’t teach.”

He showed athleticism at Covington (La.) High School, where he played linebacker and running back and was a three-year letterwinner in basketball. He also showed athleticism at Texas A&M, where he led the SEC in tackles for loss as an off-ball linebacker.

Covington is about 40 miles north of New Orleans. So naturally Cooper grew up a Saints fan.

Not true, he said.

So who did he root for as a kid?

“We played them last week,” he said with a laugh. Cooper was a fan of the “Legion of Boom” era Seahawks, citing cornerback Richard Sherman and running back Marshawn Lynch as two of his favorite players.

Cooper said he wasn’t looking to prove anything, though.

“I’m just here doing my job for the people who wanted me,” he said.

Cooper said he got about 10 tickets for friends and family who made the trip to Green Bay for Monday night’s game.

“They’re not ready for the cold,” he said.

The Packers play the Saints on Monday – two days before Christmas.

What would be a Merry Christmas?

“I’m always happy,” Cooper said with a big smile. “I’m a Green Bay Packer. That’s it.”

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