AMES – Iowa State defensive back Jeremiah Cooper has been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It is the first Big 12 weekly honor of Cooper’s career.
Cooper was integral in Iowa State’s season-opening 30-9 victory over Northern Iowa Saturday. He grabbed a pair of interceptions in the game, including a pick six on UNI’s first drive for ISU’s first points of the season.
The sophomore defensive back became the first Iowa State defender with two interceptions in a game since Marcel Spears against Texas Tech in 2018 and the first Cyclone with two takeaways since O’Rien Vance in the 2020 Fiesta Bowl. With one Week 1 game remaining Monday night, Cooper is one of seven players nationally with at least two interceptions in a game this season.
Cooper jumped a five-yard out route to grab his first-career interception and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown. Cooper’s second interception set up a 56-yard field goal for the Cyclones at the end of the first half.
The El Paso, Texas native finished the game with four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in addition to his two takeaways.
Iowa State football is back in action Saturday, Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m. when it hosts Iowa in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The game will be aired live on FOX.
