RENTON, Washington – Read and react. It's not just that Cooper Coup does it on the football field, adjusting his passing route to get open. It's something he does in his free time, too, reviewing about two dozen books per NFL season.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver-turned-Rams star is an enthusiastic reader of both non-fiction and fiction, and buys extra copies of some of his favorites—Tuesdays with Morrie and When Breath Becomes Air—to give to friends.
Just like when he's poring over a book, the bearded bookworm is reading with a pen in hand or ready to write something down on his phone.
“If I don't emphasize anything in the first day or two, it's going to be hard for me to continue,” said Kupp, 32, currently reading “Heart and Steel” by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. “I mark pages, highlight, take a screenshot.
“If I don’t teach something, a book will teach me better.”
Kupp was moved last offseason, and not by choice. Rams released him to make room for the receiver Davante Adamsparting ways with one of the most popular players, the architect of rebuilding the fan base in Los Angeles, and Most Valuable Player their Winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
1. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the team's Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Sophie Stadium on Feb. 13, 2022. 2. Kupp and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford celebrate their victory in Super Bowl LVI. 3. Kupp is hugged by Rams defensive end Aaron Donald after the team's victory in Super Bowl LVI. (Wally Scalage / Los Angeles Times)
The reunion will happen Sunday when the 7-2 Rams host the 7-2 Seahawks in an NFC West showdown, marking Kupp's first return to Sophie Stadium after spending the first eight seasons of his professional career in Southern California.
“It’s going to be mixed emotions,” Kupp told The Times after practice last week. “I'm very grateful to these people. But I'm going there to play a game. I've spent countless hours preparing to beat this team.”
There was a time when Kupp was the focal point of the Rams' offense, but over time he has faded into the background a bit. Puka Nacua began to rise. By the end of his time there, Kupp was a seasoned elder statesman who still contributed but also helped younger players improve their game.
He continued that role with the Seahawks, a relatively young team. By all accounts, Kupp played a critical role in the development of third-year receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba, the first player to reach 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Kupp is the team's second-leading receiver with 26 catches for 367 yards and a touchdown. He had his ups and downs, missing games with hamstring and heel injuries, intercepting a failed flea flicker and ripping off a 67-yard catch-and-carry gain in last Sunday's 44-22 rout of the Cardinals.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp and cornerback Sam Darnold chat before the game against the Houston Texans on Oct. 20.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“[Kupp] incredible not only as a player, but also as a person,” Seahawks defensive end. Sam Darnold said. “He's one of the best guys I've ever been around. He's in the quarterback room all the time and I learn a lot from him. Honestly, I learn a lot more from him than he does from me.”
It wasn't an easy transition for Cupp, even though he returned to his home state. He grew up in Yakima, Washington, two hours from Seattle, and played collegiately at Eastern Washington. Anna and Cooper Cupp have three young sons.
“This is where I grew up, in my wife's house, but this is not where our “This was my home,” Cupp said. “We built something cool in Los Angeles, raised our boys there. This was home. We will always want to be in Los Angeles in some capacity. Now we are returning home, but there are seven months, not eight and a half years.
“Our boys grew up in California eating breakfast outside barefoot. It will be a new adventure to see how they adapt to the fall and winter here.”
Kupp enjoys taking on an increasing leadership role with the Seahawks.
“There are young guys here who have significant reputations,” he said. “I can speak my mind more, share processes and things that have helped me. The coaches have been great. My goal is to be a multiplier, to lift people up so we're all on the same page at a high level.”
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp spends time with one of his sons before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 7.
(Amanda Lohman/Getty Images)
In his later seasons with the Rams, he let his beard grow wild. It leaked well below his chin strap. He now wears it neatly cropped, but has adopted the Seattle style of untucked flannel shirts and jeans.
Is he happy?
“Happy?” – he said, thinking about this word. “I like challenges. I'm happy to come to work. But I don’t live with the question: “Am I happy?” We think too much about ourselves. When you stop living for yourself and start investing in others—family, teammates, friends—you will find greater satisfaction.
“I want people to be excited when I walk into a room because they know I’ll be there for them.”
This is philosophy Craig and Karin Cupp emphasized with your four children: you want to live in a room with windows, not mirrors.
“In a room of mirrors, you look inward, seeing only yourself,” said Ketner Cupp, Cooper's younger brother and now the defensive coordinator at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
“In a room with a window, you can't really see yourself. You look out, see others and remain selfless. That's how we try to live.”
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp warms up before a game against the Houston Texans on Oct. 20.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
It's no surprise that Kupp's parents and siblings love having him around.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Ketner, who drafted his brother to two different fantasy leagues. “I've never really rooted for a team before, even being from Washington, but it was amazing. There's so much energy around the Seahawks and it's great to be a part of it.”
His older brother, a book lover, successfully turned the page.
