Pharoh Cooper playing final collegiate game Saturday
South Carolina junior Pharoh Cooper will play his final collegiate game Saturday, his father told The State on Tuesday.
“He definitely appreciates the opportunity to play for South Carolina, and we as parents appreciate the opportunity they gave him,” Glen Cooper said.
Cooper decision was based on his NFL potential and not the coaching transition at South Carolina, his father said. Pharoh Cooper is the Gamecocks leading receiver with 62 catches for 887 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named first-team All-SEC last season after catching 69 passes for 1,136 yards.
“He wants to ride the wave at its high point,” said Glen Cooper, who added his son did not want to risk potential injury by returning for his senior season.
The Cooper family has begun conversations with agents and narrowed their choices to three, Glen Cooper said. Pharoh Cooper plans to return to USC to finish his degree at some point in the future, his father said.
Cooper has 134 catches for 2,077 yards in his career. He has also rushed for 523 yards and thrown for 118 in three years since signing out of Havelock High School in North Carolina.
Good company
Pharoh Cooper joins Sidney Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Kenny McKinley as Gamecocks with two of the top-10 single-season receiving totals in USC history.
Player (Year);Yards
1. Alshon Jeffery (2010);1,517
2. Sidney Rice (2005);1,143
3. Pharoh Cooper (2014);1,136
4. Sterling Sharpe (1986);1,106
5. Sidney Rice (2006);1,090
6. Kenny McKinley (2007);968
7. Sterling Sharpe (1987);915
8. Zola Davis (1995);911
9. Pharoh Cooper (2015);887
10. Kenny McKinley (2006);880
This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Pharoh Cooper playing final collegiate game Saturday."