Pharoh Cooper comes home with big aspirations

[Sir Purr]

"It means a lot for us to be having this success in the NFL," Cooper said. "Just the hard work that you put in from high school and then to being a freshman in college. And the older guys there are paving the way.


"Now you can say that you were one of the ones paving the way for the younger guys. That helps get that program up and running. It feels great to be a part of that group and still playing in the NFL. We've got a lot of talent in the league right now."


With four Gamecocks: Cooper, offensive lineman Dennis Daley, running back Mike Davis and kicker Elliott Fry, the Panthers have one of the bigger collections of South Carolina players in the league. But the final roster is clearly far from set.


Every spring brings question marks during a normal offseason, but throw in a new coaching staff plus the physical challenges and unknowns from COVID-19, and all anyone can do is speculate who will be lining up where.


Cooper is hoping to change some of that speculation, too. After all, there is still a WR next to his name on the roster.


"When I signed, everyone wrote, 'Former return man signs with the Carolina Panthers.' That's fine and all. I've made a name for myself at that position with the accomplishments that I have. But that's not necessarily how I want to keep building my name," Cooper said. "I'm a receiver, and I want to prove that I can do that successfully in this league. I want to build off what I did last year with the Cardinals, where I had my best receiving season."


Cooper had 25 receptions on 33 targets for 243 yards and a receiving touchdown last year, and his 75.8 reception percentage led all Arizona wideouts.


But Cooper will have a crowded receiver room when he eventually enters the facility in Charlotte. DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel return as starters from the last two years, and the Panthers have added a handful of new wideouts in free agency.


So while Cooper wants to expand his receiving résumé, he also understands where he can help immediately.


"I'm a receiver first and foremost, but being a returner is an extra skillset that I can bring to the table," Cooper said. "If you're good at it, teams are going to keep putting you there and letting you do it. That stuff puts your team in a good position on the field and helps you score touchdowns and make big plays."