Poor grades and immaturity combined to deal a devastating blow to one high school athlete’s hopes of signing with a Division I football program. But instead of wallowing in his sorrow, this wide-bodied offensive lineman took it upon himself to change his ways and command the attention of NFL talent evaluators.
During his formative years, Ethan Cooper was always a big kid with superior athletic skills to play a variety of sports, but the 325-pound trench warrior admittedly never took things seriously enough to get himself in the best shape.
The wake-up call came when none of his coveted scholarship offers materialized for the aspiring pro.