Jason Cooper

Jason Cooper was a two-sport star and a captain with the New Canaan Rams’ football and lacrosse teams from 1980-84.

Cooper was the leading scorer on New Canaan’s 1982 football team and helped head coach Lou Marinelli win his first state championship when the Rams defeated Naugatuck, 20-12, in the CIAC L-II final. Cooper was All-State and All-FCIAC during his senior season.

Cooper was also an All-FCIAC and All-State selection as an attackman on the 1984 NCHS Boys lax team, which reached the finals of both the FCIAC and State championship that season.

Graduating from NCHS in 1984, Cooper went to Duke on a four-year football scholarship, starting three seasons at tight end and becoming a team captain for coach Steve Spurrier in 1987. He was also a two-year starter for Duke’s Nationally-ranked top 10 lacrosse team, and earned the Duke Leadership Award, which is given to four senior students who “demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities in the community.”

Cooper went on to play for two legendary NFL coaches while with Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys and Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins.

Nowadays, he can be seen patrolling the sidelines of Dunning Field as a coach in the NCHS football and girls lacrosse programs.