At NFL Combine, Crystal Lake South's Fahn Cooper using unique college route to his advantage

INDIANAPOLIS — On April 30, during Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft, Fahn Cooper will be celebrating his 23rd birthday, and potentially his future job in the NFL.

Turning 23 will be a lot more exciting than 22 for Cooper, the Crystal Lake South grad.

“Last year, it was extremely bittersweet for me,” he said from the NFL Scouting Combine. “I considered leaving early, but I was playing too heavy and I didn’t really have that good a season.

“To watch the draft on my birthday, April 30, 2015, I’m at home watching guys get drafted, some guys that I played against. I thought that was going to be the only year it was ever in Chicago, so it really motivated me to want to get after it, so next year, I’m going to be there and get my name up there.”

Cooper said he isn’t surprised he’s at the Combine, but he knows the Crystal Lake South-to-Bowling Green-to-College of DuPage-to-Ole Miss path isn’t exactly the conventional route to Lucas Oil Stadium in late February, performing drills and interviewing in front of 32 NFL teams.

“My Dad said ‘I know you’ll be great. This is what you’ve been doing. Being an athlete, competing, doing drills, changing directions, that’s the stuff that got your foot in the door in the first place,’” Cooper said.

Cooper measured in at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds with 34 3/4” arms. His arm length is key, considering 6-4 is on the smaller end for his position. Cooper may project as a right tackle, but his experience at left tackle with the athleticism necessary on the blind side should only help him, mentally and physically, for the NFL speed.

“[The NFL]’s the fastest there is. I pulled up some film with some of my guys, Big Ten game, SEC games, our game against Auburn, and then I put up film of an Eagles game and I was like, ‘Look at how fast this is. Look at how fast guys are playing,’” he said. “Being athletic helps you out because you’ve got to get off the ball. You have to be fast with your hands and your feet and your mind, too.”

As Cooper competes alongside other offensive linemen jockeying for draft position and tries to make the best impression in interviews, he knows he can use his time at three schools as a positive.

“Junior college and all those experiences helped me learn and be more mature. They were invaluable for me to grow as a person and a football player," he said.

A friend of Cooper’s texted him recently to tell the hopeful NFL’er, ‘you’ve already made it to me.’

“That motivates a lot of guys to see me, knowing where I came from — being in junior college, eating Ramen noodles, having bags in the trunk of my car because we didn’t have a locker room,” Cooper said. “[They say], ‘Man, how he’s about to be in the Combine?’ It can be motivation for lots of other guys that may be discouraged. Hey, man, if you push through, you could make something of yourself.”