Cooper Kupp admits feeling ‘mixed emotions’ ahead of Rams game
RENTON, Washington — Read and react. It’s not just what Cooper Kupp does on the football field, adjusting his pass route to get open. It’s also what he does in his free time, flipping through nearly two dozen books during the NFL season.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, once a Rams star, is an avid reader of nonfiction and fiction, and buys extra copies of some of his favorites — “Tuesday with Morrie” and “When Breath Becomes Air” — to hand out to friends.
Just like when examining the game book, the bearded bookworm reads with a pen in hand or ready to jot something down on his phone.
“If I haven’t highlighted something in the first couple of days, it’s hard to continue,” said Kupp, 32, who is currently reading “Heart and Steel” by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. “I mark pages, I highlight, I take a screenshot.
“If I’m not learning something, a book better transport me.”
Kupp was carried last offseason, and not by choice. The Rams released him to make room for wide receiver Davante Adams, parting ways with one of their most popular players, architect of Los Angeles’ rebuilding fan base and MVP of their Super Bowl victory in the 2021 season.
1. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the team’s Super Bowl victory against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on February 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 takes place Sunday when the 7-2 Rams host the 7-2 Seahawks in an NFC West showdown, Kupp’s first return to SoFi 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 have so much gratitude to the people there. 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 a focal point of the Rams’ offense, but he eventually faded a bit into the background as Puka Nacua began to rise. By the end of his time there, Kupp was an elder statesman, always contributing but also helping younger players refine their game.
He continued this role with the Seahawks, a relatively young team. Clearly, Kupp has been instrumental in the development of third-year receiver Jaxon 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’s been up and down, missing a game with hamstring and heel injuries, throwing an interception on a missed chip flick and ripping off a 67-yard gain on a catch-and-carry in last Sunday’s 44-22 loss to the Cardinals.
Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Sam Darnold talk before a game against the Houston Texans on October 20.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“[Kupp] “It’s amazing, not just as a player but as a person,” Seahawks quarterback 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 so much from him. Honestly, I learn a lot more from him than I do from myself.
It wasn’t an easy transition for Kupp, even though he returned to his home country. He grew up in Yakima, Washington, 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 house, but it’s not where OUR “Home was,” Kupp said. “We built something cool in L.A., raised our boys there. It was my home. We’ll always want to be in L.A. in some capacity. We’re moving back home here now, but it’s been seven months versus eight and a half years there.
“Our boys grew up in California, barefoot outside at breakfast. It will be a new adventure to see how they adapt to fall and winter here.”
Kupp enjoys taking on more of a leadership role with the Seahawks.
“Here there are younger guys who are getting big reputations,” 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 time with one of his sons before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 7.
(Amanda Loman/Getty Images)
During his final seasons with the Rams, he let his beard run wild. It overflowed well below his jugular. Now he wears it carefully, but has adopted the Seattle look of untucked flannel shirts and jeans.
Is he happy?
“Happy?” he said, thinking about the word. “I love a challenge. I look forward to coming to work. But I don’t live by wondering, ‘Am I happy?’ We think too much about ourselves. When you stop living for yourself and start focusing on others – family, teammates, friends – you become more fulfilled.
“I want people to be excited when I walk into a room, because they know I’ll be there for them.”
It’s a philosophy that Craig and Karin Kupp emphasized with their four children: You want to live in a room with windows, not mirrors.
“In the hall of mirrors, you look in, you only see yourself,” said Ketner Kupp, Cooper’s younger brother and now defensive coordinator at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
“In the room with the window, we don’t really see ourselves. We look outside, we see others and we are altruistic. That’s how we try to live.”
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp warms up before a game against the Houston Texans on October 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 supported a team before, even though I’m from Washington, but this has been great. There’s so much energy around the Seahawks here, and it’s fun to be a part of.”
His older brother, a book lover, managed to turn the page.
