Cooper DeJean: From Iowa Hawkeye to NFL Star

Cooper Michael DeJean, born on February 9, 2003, is an American professional football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL began in the small farming town of Odebolt, Iowa, and was paved with exceptional performances in high school and college.

Early Years and High School Career

DeJean grew up in Odebolt, Iowa, a town with a population of approximately 920 people. He attended OA-BCIG, a consolidated school in Ida Grove, Iowa, where he excelled in multiple sports, leaving an indelible mark on the school's athletic program.

At OA-BCIG High School, DeJean was a standout in football, basketball, baseball, and track. His achievements on the gridiron were particularly noteworthy. Playing quarterback and defensive back, he set school career records in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and receiving touchdowns. He also established single-season records in passing yards, receptions, receiving yards, and total yards. As a senior, he passed for 3,447 yards with 35 touchdowns and rushed for 1,235 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the 2020 Iowa state championship game, DeJean made several impactful plays, as OABCIG defeated Van Meter.

Beyond football, DeJean showcased his athleticism in other sports. On the basketball court, he scored 1,832 career points, ranking just behind NFL tight end T.J. Hockenson on the state's all-time scoring list. In track, he won the long jump and 100-meter dash state championships as a senior.

College Career at Iowa

Despite his athletic achievements and four-star recruit status, DeJean received limited scholarship offers coming out of high school. He ultimately chose to play college football at Iowa, where he starred for three seasons.

2021 Season

As a true freshman at Iowa in 2021, DeJean played in seven games, mostly on special teams, and had four tackles.

2022 Season

DeJean became a starter his sophomore year in 2022. He played cornerback, cash (a hybrid linebacker/safety position), and punt returner for the Hawkeyes in 2022, in addition to playing safety in the preseason. Against Wisconsin, DeJean showcased his versatility, intercepting a Graham Mertz pass and returning it 32 yards for a touchdown, recording 10 tackles, forcing a fumble, downing a punt on the one-yard line, and returning four punts for 82 yards, setting up a short Iowa touchdown drive. Through three quarters, DeJean was outgaining the Hawkeye offense. DeJean was named the MVP of the 2022 Music City Bowl after recording 7 tackles, a 14-yard interception return for a touchdown, and returning three punts for 42 yards.

In 2022, DeJean played in all 13 games, starting 10 at cornerback and three at leo/cash position. He tallied 75 tackles (56 solo, 19 assists), including three for a loss of five yards, snagged five interceptions for 91 yards and three touchdowns, and recorded eight pass breakups. The five interceptions led the team, the eight pass break ups ranked second and the 75 tackles ranked third. His five interceptions ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation. He set an Iowa single-season record and tied a career record with three interception return touchdowns. He posted a career-best 11 tackles in a 10-7 loss to Iowa State (six solo, five assists), recording his first career interception and two pass break-ups. He recorded 10 tackles in a 24-10 win over Wisconsin (seven solo, three assists), with one tackle for loss. He recorded his fourth interception of the season vs.

2023 Season

During the 2023 season, DeJean once again was a crucial part of Iowa's success. The Hawkeyes had a historically poor offense, but special teams and defense kept them in, and won them games. DeJean was not targeted as much, but registered three interceptions. He allowed only 22 receptions and no touchdowns during the season. DeJean was active in the return game, including the game-winning 70-yard return with three minutes left against Michigan State and a disallowed 54-yard return against rival Minnesota, which would have resulted in an Iowa lead. The referee's call of an invalid fair catch caused considerable controversy and prompted an explanatory conference call involving Big Ten and NCAA officiating personnel. DeJean suffered a leg injury in mid-November, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Despite the setback, he was named unanimous consensus All-American and earned both the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year honors.

In 2023, DeJean started at cornerback in the first 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury in practice. He recorded 41 tackles (26 solo, 15 assists), including two tackles for a loss of 41 yards), two interceptions for 41 yards, five pass break-ups, and returned 21 punts for 241 yards (11.5 yards per return avg.) with one touchdown and a long return of 70 yards on the season. He ranked second in the Big Ten with 21 punt returns for 240 yards and an 11.5 yard per game average. He had six tackles (four solo, two assists), his sixth career interception, and returned a punt 70 yards for a game-winning touchdown in a 26-16 win over Michigan State. He led the team with 10 tackles (six solo, four assists), including half a tackle for a loss of two years, and one pass break-up in a 20-13 win at Iowa State. It was his third career game of tallying 10+ tackles. He recorded seven tackles (four solo, three assists) in a season-opening 24-14 win over Utah State. He returned five punts for 77 yards, with a long of 28 yards, and collected two tackles (one solo, one assist) in a 41-10 win over Western Michigan. He collected five tackles (four solo, one assist) and returned two punts for a total of 15 yards in a 31-0 loss at Penn State. He collected three tackles (two solo, one assist), one pass break-up and his seventh career interception (41-yard return) in a 20-14 win over Purdue. He had three tackles (two solo, one assist), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of one yard, and one pass break-up in a 10-7 win at Northwestern. He also rushed once for four yards and returned two punts for 17 yards (12-yard long) at Northwestern. He collected three tackles (two solo, one assist), including a tackle for a loss of two yards, and one pass break-up in a 15-6 win at Wisconsin. He returned two punts for six yards (long of four yards) at Wisconsin. He returned three punts for 45 yards (long of 25 yards) vs.

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DeJean was also a finalist in 2023 for the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronco Nagurski Award, which is given to the top defensive back and top defensive player in college football, respectively. DeJean set the Iowa single season record with three interception returns for a touchdown as a sophomore in 2022, adding another in 2023. The Odebolt, Iowa, native finished his college career with 120 total tackles with seven interceptions and 13 pass deflections.

DeJean was a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, tabbed as the No. 359 overall player and No. 26 safety, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.

College Statistics

Year	Games	Tackles	Interceptions	Pass Deflections
2021	7	4	0	0
2022	13	75	5	8
2023	10	41	2	5
Total	30	120	7	13

NFL Career with the Philadelphia Eagles

DeJean was eventually drafted No. by the Philadelphia Eagles. DeJean, a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, has been one of the best rookies in the NFL this season, with 51 total tackles and a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries en route to being named a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, which ultimately went to the Rams' Jared Verse. He also handled punt return duties for the Eagles, with 21 returns for 211 yards. DeJean looks to help stop a strong Kansas City Chiefs offense, as Kansas City looks for its third consecutive Super Bowl win.

He also participated in numerous volunteer activities during his time at Iowa, including staffing Special Olympics events, working with Safe Haven of Iowa County, assisting CommUnity Crisis Services and more.

2024 Season

DeJean saw action in 16 games (nine starts), registering 50 tackles (37 solo), 6 PDs, 3 FRs, 1 FF and surrendered 0 TDs en route to being named an AP Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist. He finished as an Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist in 2024. He didn't allow a TD the entire season and ranked 3rd among NFL CBs in PFF defensive grade (82.7) (min. He was also a key contributor of Philadelphia's Super Bowl LIX-winning team in 2024.

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Super Bowl LIX

DeJean recorded his first career interception in the second quarter of Super Bowl LIX off quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which was the first ever interception recorded by an Eagles player in a Super Bowl. DeJean intercepted Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and returned it 38 yards for his first career TD to take a 17-0 lead in the 40-22 Super Bowl LIX victory vs. Kansas City (2/9/25).

Personal Life

DeJean is the son of Jason and Katie DeJean. He is the eldest of three boys. The middle child, Beckett (20), plays defensive end for the University of South Dakota. The youngest child, Jaxx, who also plays football for OA-BCIG, is a 2027 3-star wide receiver committed to the University of Iowa. All three brothers are competitive and high achieving athletes.

His nickname is Coop. His hobbies include playing pick-up basketball, golfing, and playing video games. On his bucket list is to travel to Italy. A little known fact about him is that his hometown has zero stoplights â only stop signs and yield signs. If he could have a career outside of sports, he would choose real estate because he feels like it's an enjoyable business and he loves looking at new houses. His favorite athlete to watch is LeBron James, and his favorite TV show is Suits.

Honors and Awards

Unanimous consensus All-American (2023)
First-team All-America (2023) by AFCA, FWAA, The Athletic, CBS, Phil Steele, Sports Illustrated (return specialist), Walter Camp, Associated Press, and Sporting News
Midseason first team All-American (2023) by Associated Press, The Athletic, ESPN, and FOX
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalist (2023)
Jim Thorpe Award Finalist (2023)
Bednarik Award Semifinalist (2023)
Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist (2023)
Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year (2023)
Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year (2023)
First-team All-Big Ten (2023) by league coaches and media (defense and return specialist)
Phil Steele first-team All-Big Ten (DB/PR) (2023)
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (10/2/2023)
Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week nominee (10/2/2023)
Preseason first-team All-American by Associated Press (2023)
Preseason second-team All-America by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, and Sporting News (2023)
Preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, and Pro Football Focus (2023)
Preseason second-team All-Big Ten special teams by Athlon Sports (2023)
Nagurski Award Watch List (2023)
Hornung Award Watch List (2023)
Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (2023)
Roy Carver Most Valuable Player, defense (2023)
Hayden Fry âExtra Heartbeatâ Award, defense (2023)
Reggie Roby Special Teams Award, overall (2023)
Coaches Appreciation Award, defense (2023)
Music City Bowl Most Valuable Player (2022)
Reggie Roby Special Teams Award, overall (2022)
Team Hustle Award, defense (2022)
First-team All-Big Ten (2022) by league media
Second-team All-Big Ten (2022) by league coaches
Rose Bowl Game Defensive Player of the Week vs. Wisconsin (2022)

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