Raiders WR Amari Cooper not caught up in accolades
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Amari Cooper caught 11 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns last week.
As for the attention that has followed, he isn’t caught up in it.
The low-key Raiders wide receiver stayed true to form Wednesday. He met with reporters but didn’t bask in the glow from his career game, which came in a thrilling 31-30 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The performance led to AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Wednesday.
Cooper joined legend Tim Brown as the only wide receivers in Raiders history to be given the weekly award. His single-game yardage total was the second-highest in franchise history behind only Art Powell (247 yards) in 1963.
“I just play, man,” Cooper said. “I try to play good every week. If it doesn’t happen, I just move on. If I do play good, I do the same thing. I just move on.”
Minutes earlier, Derek Carr lavished praise on Cooper.
The Raiders quarterback spoke during a news conference about his receiver’s versatility. Cooper played a variety of receiver positions last week, including the slot where he was targeted on 11 of his 18 attempts. He caught six of them for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Carr recalled comments he heard recently from Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.
“He was talking about how he played point guard this past game,” Carr said of James, “and you take a guy that’s super smart that can go from playing the three and then go play the one and he can go play the five. He knows all the sets; he knows all the plays. Amari’s the same (way) mentally. He’s the same kind of guy where he can go play X, F. He can play the Y. He can play the Z. He can play H.
“I don’t know if he can play quarterback. I’m sure he’d find a way to be successful.”
A reporter told Cooper that Carr compared him to LeBron James and asked for his thoughts. Cooper responded in quintessential Cooper fashion.
“I think it was hyperbole,” he said.
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
