RENTON, Wash. — Read and react. That isn’t just what Cooper Kupp does on the football field, adjusting his pass route to get open. It’s what he does in his free time, too, tearing through close to two dozen books during the NFL season.
The Seattle Seahawks receiver, once a star with the Rams, is an enthusiastic reader of both nonfiction and fiction, and buys extra copies of some of his favorites — “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “When Breath Becomes Air” — to hand out to friends.
Just as when he’s poring over the playbook, the bearded bookworm reads with pen in hand or ready to note something on his phone.
“If I haven’t underlined anything in the first day or two, it’s hard to keep going,” said Kupp, 32, currently reading “Heart and Steel” by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. “I mark pages, highlight, screenshot.
“If I’m not learning something, a book better transport me.”
Kupp was transported last offseason, and not by his choosing. The Rams released him to make room for receiver Davante Adams, parting ways with one of their most popular players, an architect of rebuilding a fan base in Los Angeles, and Most Valuable Player of their Super Bowl win in the 2021 season.
1. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the team’s Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, 2022. 2. Kupp and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford celebrate after winning Super Bowl LVI. 3. Kupp gets a hug from Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald after the team’s victory in Super Bowl LVI. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The reunion happens Sunday when the 7-2 Rams play host to the 7-2 Seahawks in an NFC West showdown, Kupp’s first return to SoFi Stadium after spending the first eight seasons of his pro career in Southern California.
“It’ll be mixed emotions,” Kupp told The Times after practice last week. “I have so much gratitude for the people there. But I’m going down there to play a game. I’ve spent countless hours preparing to beat that team.”
There was a time when Kupp was a focal point of the Rams offense, but he eventually receded a bit into the background as Puka Nacua began to ascend. By the end of his run there, Kupp was a seasoned elder statesman, still contributing but also helping younger players fine-tune their game.
He has continued that role with the Seahawks, a relatively young team. By all accounts, Kupp has played a critical role in the development of third-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the first player to reach 1,000 yards receiving this season.
Kupp is the team’s second-leading receiver, with 26 catches for 367 yards and a touchdown. He’s had ups and downs, missing a game because of injuries to his hamstring and heel, throwing an interception on a failed flea-flicker, and tearing off a 67-yard gain in a catch and carry in last Sunday’s 44-22 thrashing of the Cardinals.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Sam Darnold talk before a game against the Houston Texans on Oct. 20.
(Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
“[Kupp] is unbelievable, not just as a player but as a person,” Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold said. “He’s one of the best dudes I’ve ever been around. He’s in the quarterback room all the time, and I’m learning so much from him. Honestly, I’m learning way more from him than he is from me.”
This hasn’t been an easy transition for Kupp, even though he returned to his home state. He was raised in Yakima, Wash., a two-hour drive from Seattle, and played collegiately at Eastern Washington. Anna and Cooper Kupp have three young sons.
“This is where I grew up, my wife’s home, but it’s not where our home was,” Kupp said. “We built something cool in L.A., raised our boys there. That was home. We’ll always want to be in L.A. in some capacity. We’re making home here now, but it’s seven months versus 8½ years there.
“Our boys grew up in California, barefoot outside at breakfast. It’ll be a new adventure to see how they adapt to fall and winter here.”
Kupp is enjoying taking more of a leadership role with the Seahawks.
“Here, there are younger guys getting significant reps,” he said. “I can be more of a voice, sharing processes, things that have helped me. The coaches have been great. My goal is to be a multiplier, to lift people up, to get us all on the same page at a high level.”
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp spends a moment with one of his sons before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 7.
(Amanda Loman / Getty Images)
In his later seasons with the Rams, he let his beard go wild. It spilled over and well below his chinstrap. Now, he wears it neatly trimmed, but has embraced the Seattle look of untucked flannel shirts and jeans.
Is he happy?
“Happy?” he said, pondering the word. “I love the challenge. I’m excited to come to work. But I don’t live asking, ‘Am I happy?’ We think about ourselves too much. When you stop living for yourself and start pouring into others — family, teammates, friends — you find more fulfillment.
“I want people excited when I walk into a room because they know I’ll be there for them.”
That’s a philosophy Craig and Karin Kupp emphasized with their four children: you want to live in a room of windows not mirrors.
“In the mirror room, you’re looking inward, only seeing yourself,” said Ketner Kupp, Cooper’s younger brother and now defensive coordinator at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.
“In the window room, you can’t really see yourself. You’re looking out, seeing others and being 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)
Not surprisingly, Kupp’s parents and siblings love having him nearby.
“It’s been super fun,” said Ketner, who drafted his brother in two different fantasy leagues. “I’ve never really rooted for one team before, even being from Washington, but this has been awesome. There’s so much energy around the Seahawks here, and it’s fun to be a part of that.”
His older brother, lover of books, has successfully turned the page.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
