Frosty’s father, Edgerrin Cooper, becomes Packers star

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia called Edgerrin Cooper a “ball magnet” Friday.

Well, that’s not what he calls Cooper.

“I call him Frosty,” Bisaccia said. “That’s kind of his nickname. You can ask him if he wants to tell you why.

As Cooper headed to his locker after Saturday’s practice, the last before Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, reporters were eager for an explanation.

“That’s my horse’s name,” Cooper said. “Ever since I got here, he’s called me Frosty.”

Cooper grew up in Covington, Louisiana, where some of his childhood friends owned horses. A second-round pick of the Packers in this year’s draft, Cooper bought a few horses when he arrived in Green Bay.

“God blessed me in this position, so I was able to get mine,” he said.

For now, Frosty and Cinco are just pets.

“They all look good in the front yard,” Cooper said.

There’s no time for horseback riding now. Not with the Packers looking to take Cooper deep into the playoffs.

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Cooper returned strong last week against Seattle. Officially, he had five tackles on defense, two tackles on special teams – three, Bisaccia was quick to correct – a sack, an interception and two passes defensed to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The prize has been awarded since 1984. Cooper became only the fifth player to win it twice as a rookie.

“There were a lot of impressive things about him,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “First of all, he hadn’t practiced much and he’s just making a lot of spectacular plays. You see how fast it is. He’s a great tackler, he’s a great blitzer. He should have made two interceptions in the game.

“His ability to get close – there was a screen that was thrown, he was about 8 yards away from it, and by the time the guy caught the ball, he was right there. He can eat grass very quickly. Sometimes he may not be in the right position, but he has the ability to compensate. So the more he learns and the more he improves, he’s going to get better and better.

That’s Cooper’s goal. Even playing only about 36 percent of the defensive snaps, he is the only NFL rookie with at least 30 tackles, an interception and a sack.

Cooper’s numbers are much better than that with 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and one interception.

“I just like to go out there and make big plays,” he said. “It’s just in me. I just try to keep improving every day.

Cooper’s big plays against the Seahawks were really important. He had a third-down sack on the opening series, giving the Packers an early 14-0 lead. His third-quarter hit against Geno Smith ended the veteran quarterback’s night. His interception in the fourth quarter gave the offense the decisive score.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Cooper said. “It’s as simple as that (and) I keep saying it, but I’m just here to play football, have fun and do what’s best for my team.”

Cooper was the first linebacker off the board in this year’s draft. The Packers held the 41st second-round pick; they traded up four spots in a deal with the Saints and took Cooper with the 45th pick.

He looks like an incredible difference maker and core player.

Defensively, despite barely playing early in the season and then missing three games, he is sixth on the team in tackles, fourth in sacks, tied for second in tackles for losses and tied for second in passes defended.

“This guy just has the ability to eat grass and run,” Hafley said. “The more he practices and the healthier he stays, he’s a guy you want to have on the field.”

The same goes for Bisaccia. According to his statistics, Cooper is No. 1 on the team in special teams tackles.

“It’s a ball magnet,” Bisaccia said. “That’s the best thing I can say about him. On a sporting level, he does things that you really can’t teach.

He showed that athleticism at Covington (La.) High School, where he played linebacker and running back and was a three-year letterwinner in basketball. He also showed that athleticism at Texas A&M, where he led the SEC in tackles for loss as an off-ball linebacker.

Covington is located approximately 40 miles north of New Orleans. So, naturally, Cooper grew up as a Saints fan.

That’s not true, he said.

So who did he root for as a kid?

“We played them last week,” he said with a laugh. Cooper was a fan of the “Legion of Boom” era Seahawks, mentioning cornerback Richard Sherman and running back Marshawn Lynch as two of his favorite players.

Cooper, however, said he wasn’t out to prove anything.

“I’m just here to do my job for the people who wanted me,” he said.

Cooper said he received about 10 tickets for friends and family who traveled to Green Bay for Monday night’s game.

“They are not ready to face the cold,” he said.

The Packers will face the Saints on Monday – two days before Christmas.

What would a Merry Christmas be?

“I’m always happy,” Cooper said with a big smile. “I’m a Green Bay Packer. That’s it.”

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