bubba9497 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 When chips are down, Cooley is the man http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/082005/08212005/123668/printer_friendly CHRIS COOLEY is far from a household name, but if the last year and a half are any indication, he may be one in the near future. Cooley is entering his second season as the Washington Redskins' starting H-back, a position invented by Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs. Rarely do players in the nation's capital slip under the radar, as the Redskins are notorious for adding too many over-appreciated talents. But Cooley, 23, welcomes the unsung position the same way he does a Patrick Ramsey bullet: with open arms. The Redskins have never operated under the radar, nor have many of their elite players. The franchise is the focal point of one of the top sports cities in the nation. Daniel M. Snyder is the youngest and among the richest of the NFL's 32 team owners, and Gibbs was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Over the past six years Washington has spent as freely as a shoe-craving actress on Rodeo Drive, bringing in big names as if they're coming off of assembly lines. It's no wonder, then, with all of the attention coming from superstar acquisitions, that the team has a tough time keeping emerging talents out of the spotlight. Cooley, though, hasn't yet come into focus on most league-wide radars, despite a six-touchdown rookie season. Cooley was seldom approached by media members in the Redskins' locker room last season. He was always accommodating and willing to hold court, but didn't have the vivacious personality necessary to draw cameras. He wasn't about to guarantee a victory or create salary-oriented scuttlebutt, and there was no bling-bling in his locker. Therefore in the eyes of many, the rookie third-round draft pick was better off left alone. That was fine with the 265-pound pass-catching machine, who went about his business honing his craft. The Utah State graduate ended his rookie season with 37 receptions and a team-high six touchdowns--not too shabby for a first-year player in an anemic offense. He decided, though, to take his game to the next level this offseason, attending every voluntary workout session throughout the spring at Redskins Park. Cooley, the 81st overall pick in the 2004 draft, put on 15 pounds this offseason, while increasing his muscle mass. Looking leaner and more defined at training camp, the second-year starter was a popular interview at training camp earlier this month. "I gave up potato chips this offseason," he said. "It better pay off." Many members of the organization and of the press who cover the team feel Cooley can put up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers in his second season. Adding speed at wide receiver should help to open more seams in the middle of the field for Cooley, who became known last season as one of the league's toughest players to bring down. With the size of a linebacker and the quickness of a fullback, Cooley has a little Mike Alstott in him, possessing the ability to pinball off of would-be tacklers. "I feel so much better now than I have, I just can't wait for a game," Cooley said last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtyler42 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Cooooooley! Coooooooley! This guy is going to have an unbelievable season and I could even see him being our leading reciever w/about 60-70 receptions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 We should be using Cooley and McCants everytime we get into the redzone. They offer Ramsey big targets who can catch the damn ball. I think Cooley will get 10+ TD's this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Worthy Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 You can see in the pre-season games Gibbs is keeping him under wraps. Who are you going to stop? Portis? Moss? Patten? Cooley? Its going to be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrrok Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 did we use cooley against the bengals? I dont remember him making a catch?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyno Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 did we use cooley against the bengals? I dont remember him making a catch?? he was int there for about a quarter and a half. He was used pretty stricktly for blocking from what I can tell. Makes sense as that is the area he needs to work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrrok Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 he was int there for about a quarter and a half. He was used pretty stricktly for blocking from what I can tell. Makes sense as that is the area he needs to work on. Yeah I agree that his limited time in PS is a good sign that Gibbs likes what he seems. 10+ TD's in 05! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Sassy Molassy Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Cooley turned into a pleasant surprise last season. I hope that he can build on his solid performance this year. He definitely needs to work on the blocking aspect of his game, it's good that Gibbs & Co. have him focusing on that this preseason. I will say, however, I can't wait to see all of our pieces come together this year. Hopefully, Ramsey gets his timing down with Santana, and hopefully he can also learn not to make so many costly mistakes. But once we get all our weapons on the field together, if we click, there may be no stopping us, if we perform like we did Friday night (Sans the turnovers obviously). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newarkredskinsfan Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Think he could have a probowl year with 60 catches and 10 td. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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