For other persons with similar names, see Jon Cooper (disambiguation).

Jonathon Cooper (born January 8, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Early life

Cooper was born on January 8, 1998, in Gahanna, Ohio. His mother, Jessica Moorman, who was 17 years old at the time, was a high school student with college aspirations who worked a part-time job at an accounting firm. Initially, Moorman felt she was not ready for the responsibility of raising a child and planned to put Cooper up for adoption. However, after Cooper was born nine weeks premature and weighing only 4 pounds, she decided to raise him herself. After spending two months with Cooper in the intensive care unit, she would go on to graduate from high school and earn her college degree.[1]

Cooper began playing football at 6 years old, citing his mother's work ethic as a primary inspiration. Prior to beginning high school at Gahanna-Lincoln, Cooper and his mother created a workout circuit for him in their basement.[1]

During his freshman year, Cooper was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, a rare heart condition that often manifests in an abnormally fast heartbeat.[2][3]

College career

Cooper played college football at Ohio State University from 2016 to 2020.[4][5][6] Over 45 games during his career, he had 75 tackles and 10 sacks.[7] Cooper was the first Ohio State player to ever wear the number 0, which was awarded to him for his leadership qualities.[1]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+5⁄8 in
(1.90 m) 		253 lb
(115 kg) 		32+1⁄8 in
(0.82 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.71 s 1.65 s 2.78 s 4.31 s 7.02 s 33.0 in
(0.84 m)		 9 ft 0 in
(2.74 m)		 28 reps
All values from Pro Day[8]

Two days before the NFL draft, doctors discovered an atrial fibrillation in Cooper's heart. His heart rhythm was particularly abnormal, and would ultimately require three separate heart procedures to treat.[9][1]

Heading into the 2021 NFL draft, Cooper expected to be picked somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. However, his health complications caused him to fall to the seventh round, where he was eventually drafted 239th overall by the Denver Broncos.[10] Broncos general manager George Paton commented that he and his staff were aware of Cooper's health complications, but were enamored by his motor and leadership.[1]

After missing rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp due to the heart procedures, Cooper was finally cleared to attend training camp after being sidelined for a month.[1] On June 15, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract with the Broncos.[11]

Ahead of the 2023 season, Cooper changed his jersey number from 53 to 0, the number he wore at Ohio State. Cooper lead the Broncos in sacks in 2023, with eight and a half.[12]

On November 4, 2024, Cooper signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the Broncos after starting the season with five and a half sacks through nine games.[13][12]

On March 21, 2025, Cooper's contract was restructured to clear cap space.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kosmider, Nick (September 16, 2024). "Broncos' Jonathon Cooper is breaking out, 3 years after his heart put NFL dream in doubt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  2. ^ "Arrhythmias - Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome | NHLBI, NIH". www.nhlbi.nih.gov. March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  3. ^ Denver Broncos (December 1, 2021). 'This is me. This is what I went through': Jonathon Cooper details the cause behind his cleats. Retrieved April 2, 2025 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Means, Stephen (April 14, 2021). "Can Ohio State football's Jonathon Cooper raise his NFL ceiling by switching from defensive end to linebacker?". cleveland.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  5. ^ Kaufman, Joey (March 31, 2021). "2021 NFL Draft: Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning try out new positions at Ohio State pro day". Buckeye Xtra. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (October 30, 2020). "Ohio State DE Jonathon Cooper determined to make senior season special". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Stoia, George (November 5, 2021). "Becoming Jonathon Cooper: How the Broncos rookie and Von Miller's mentee became the man his mother knew he could be". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. ^ "Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State, DE, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  9. ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 3, 2021). "'Those heart surgeries were just another obstacle in my way': After getting through 'scary' offseason, Jonathon Cooper has sights set on making Broncos' roster". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  10. ^ DiLalla, Aric (May 1, 2021). "Broncos select Ohio State OLB Jonathon Cooper with 239th-overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Links, Zachary (June 15, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/15/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Legwold, Jeff (November 4, 2024). "Broncos sign OLB Cooper to 4-year extension". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  13. ^ Kelberman, Zack (November 4, 2024). "Report: Broncos Sign OLB Jonathon Cooper to Monster Deal". Denver Broncos On SI. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  14. ^ Kelberman, Zack (March 21, 2025). "Report: Broncos Redo Vet Deal, Create Millions in Cap Room". Denver Broncos On SI. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathon_Cooper
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