EDWARDSVILLE – Another key member of the Edwardsville High football team signed his letter of intent on Monday, and he’ll be joining one of his teammates to form a good tandem as well.
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Defensive back Jalen Cooper signed with the University of St. Francis in Joliet in a ceremony held Monday evening at the high school, and he’ll be joining fellow running back Dionte Rodgers on the Fighting Saints this coming season.
Cooper chose USF for very simple reasons.
“I chose USF basically because it felt more like home,” Cooper said in an interview after the ceremony. “In going up for a visit, I felt really comfortable with the coaches, coach (Brian) Bonds, coach (Joe) Curry (the Saints’ head coach). They really made it feel like home and warming. They’re like my grandpa and my mom, just a really home feeling.”
Cooper had a very successful senior season for the Tigers, with 19 solo tackles and 11 assists while recovering a fumble and picking off a pass. He also scored two touchdowns during the season.
Cooper also had offers from Milliken University in Decatur and St. Ambrose College before deciding upon St. Francis.
Cooper’s favorite memory of playing for the Tigers will be the 2017 and 2018 seasons, where Edwardsville started out 0-3 and 1-3 respectively, but overcame much adversity to make it to the IHSA Class 8A playoffs both seasons, getting to the semifinals in 2017 and to the quarterfinals last season. In both cases, the Tigers were the only non-Chicago school to qualify in the IHSA’s largest class.
“I’d say just playing with my brothers,” Cooper said. “Last year, we were 0-3, and this year, we were 1-3, overcoming all the doubts and adversity that we faced, and it was doing it for the people I played with for five to seven years.”
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