2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Samuel Cooper, LG, Merrimack College

• Name: Samuel Cooper
• Height: 6’2 
• Weight:305
• Position:LG
• College: Merrimack College
• Twitter: @Dacoop66

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• My hometown is Lagos, Nigeria. I’m from a city called Ikeja. A very busy city, nonstop noise, and hustle and everyone trying to make a living to support their family members. Kids selling food in the streets, Elderly men living in small shacks selling coca-cola and bread and peanuts to make a living. What I  love most about Lagos is a lot of my family members still live there, I also love and miss the Jollof rice over there. 

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• I think the most important one is strength and conditioning. I feel if you’re in shape and have enough strength to play your position you become more confident. Second, I have to say practice, once you’re in shape you have a game plan, you can step on the football field and execute to the best of your abilities. Find what you need to work on and attack it full speed. Third, I would say is film study. This is something where you grow and correct your technique in the meeting room, on your iPad or whatever you have to your availability. 

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry about not being able to help my mother if she needed something from me at a critical moment in life.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• Going into my Junior year my goal was to not allow a sack. My second game against Stonehill I took a weak set out of my stance and allowed a sack. I failed at my goal but it motivated me to make pass protection the best part of my game instead of dwelling on the failures.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• Intensity, this is probably what a lot of them would say. I’m very intense with whatever I do. I take things very seriously with my discipline and perfecting my craft. 

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

•  A Merrimack College Football Player by the name of Samuel Francois. This dude was huge and I don’t know what it was but every time we went against each other in practice or spring ball it was always going all out trying to see whos built. I enjoyed it, Literally couldn’t wait for practice at 6:00 am to go against this dude.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 

• I always wanted to work with Sports Marketing for a professional sports team. Make enough money to achieve my goal which has always been to create a program to help kids who come from bad backgrounds stay out of trouble and make it to college.

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

•  Room, always my room. I wake up in the morning and it’s the first thing I do. I lived with my brother in law who played no games. Every morning the first thing we had to do was make our beds. Second, my desk, All my work is done at my desk from writing my scouting report to college papers. Third, my car lol I’m always on the move and eat a lot of food in my car. I should probably go clean it now.

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• One family member, I love my family to death. 

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• Sonny Corleone, was the first bad guy/ good guy I ever saw in a movie.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

•  When I was young I lost close family members to murder and cancer. I had to grow up at a very young age and mature quickly. I dealt with it by just working hard. Running sprints on a hill with my best friend and more. Hard work can teach you a lot about yourself and what you will become. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  During my freshman year, I gave a cut block during a pass play. Immediately after I made the cut block I looked to the sideline and saw my offensive line coach basically about to run on the field. I got ripped so bad for cutting during a pass play. Yeah, moral of the story…. Don’t cut block during pass pro.  

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  I’m an offensive lineman so I enjoy the little things in life. My first game at Merrimack my first play was a pull. I just loved this play because I had perfect depth on my pull and the linebacker crashed the hole and I just blessed him. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• If I can’t- 50 Cent

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

•  Discipline- I’m willing to do what others aren’t willing to do to get the job done.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• My Father, I learned work ethic from him at a young age by seeing how he went to work in Nigeria at 4 am and came back at 10 Pm. It would be nice to eat some food and talk about life.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

• Thickies

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Brandon Scherff, I feel like he’s the best guard in the league and doesn’t get enough respect. The man just goes to work with a serious face, says no words and goes home. That’s a bad dude.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  Respected, I never really cared about being liked to be honest. I’m the type of person if you like me Amen but if you don’t well that’s life.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

•AB, I feel he’s the best receiver of our time and needs to get back.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I hate to lose. No one remembers losers.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

•My mom, through good and hard times she never quit on me. She always believed in me.