Cooper Kupp followed his heart in decision to stay at EWU

After hearing for weeks why he should leave Eastern Washington University and pursue his dreams, Cooper Kupp paused to consider the reality:

He’s already living the dream in Cheney.

The All-American wide receiver took a few folks by surprise on Monday when he announced that he would return for his senior year. Conventional wisdom says to strike while the iron is hot, and Kupp couldn’t be hotter after another record-breaking season.

From the season-opener at Oregon to the finale against Portland State, the redshirt junior from Yakima impressed opponents and scouts alike. After catching 114 passes for 1,642 yards and 19 touchdowns, he saw his stock rise to new heights: Experts told Kupp he could be a midrange pick in next year’s NFL draft.

Among other things, they like his speed, route-running, his ability to make the tough catch – and of course his I’m-not-going-to-down mentality. Every game, it was there for all to see: one arm cradling the ball and the other stiff-arming a defender for 20 yards.

So why is he stiff-arming the NFL? It’s simple: After listening to all the reasons why he should leave, Kupp realized that there were even more reasons to stay.

“It was a tough decision,” said Kupp, who made it during the Thanksgiving weekend with his family. “Ultimately, we felt it was God’s plan for us to play one more year.”

Kupp’s choice of the first-person plural was intentional: By “us,” he meant his wife Anna, his brother Ketner, the other Eastern seniors and everyone else in the program.

“I believe in this team. The guys and the coaches – there’s something special here,” Kupp said. “And I want to be a leader on this team.”

In some ways, the groundwork for his decision was laid last summer, at his wedding. It was a melding of family, friends and football: Current and former teammates were there, and after the vows were exchanged, Anna put a helmet on Kupp’s head and he carried her on his back up the aisle.

“It was the greatest day of my life, and it was special to be able to experience that day with them and have them support us like that,” Kupp said.

“That’s the thing about being here: I’ve made lifelong friends,” said Kupp, who wants to tie those bonds a little stronger in his senior year.

That includes playing another year with his classmates from the 2012 recruiting class, and Ketner, a freshman linebacker.

“Having another year with my brother – we’re lucky to have that,” Kupp said.

Another motivation is team success. The Eagles’ 6-5 record didn’t go down well with anyone. Coach Beau Baldwin said Kupp’s ability to “hold guys accountable” will be important next year.

“I think he really wanted to leave an imprint besides all the records, all the things he could do as a senior,” Baldwin said. “He’s only going to have that one chance to be a senior.”

Another benefit for Kupp is the chance to complete his education. An economics major with a 3.54 grade-point average, he was named on Thursday to the NCAA Division I Academic All-America team. The 26-player squad includes players from both FCS and FBS teams.

Kupp stressed that his decision had little to do with breaking records, although he’s on track to break every major mark in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In just three years, he ranks second in FCS history in touchdown catches (56, two behind the record), second in reception yards (4,764, 486 behind the record) and fourth in receptions (311, 84 behind the record).

All three marks are Big Sky records, and he also established a new league record for average catches per game (7.97), which also ranks third in FCS history.

Kupp has helped Eastern win 29 games overall and 20 in the Big Sky Conference in the past three seasons, with outright Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths his freshman and sophomore seasons.