Wide Receiver Amari Cooper
The day has finally come.
The Oakland Raiders kicked off the first official day of Training Camp 2017 Friday afternoon, and wide receiver Amari Cooper was among those to go to the podium. This will mark the former University of Alabama wide receiver's third season in the league, and he has made quite the impression thus far.
Here are the quick hits from his media session:
As he enters his third season in the NFL, Cooper reflected on how he's grown the past two seasons.
"I've definitely learned from the past two seasons. You know, the seasons in the NFL is longer than a season in college, so that's one of the things I've learned, how to take care of my body throughout the season."
After going 12-4 last season, the team knows what it's capable of, and is focused on what lies ahead.
"Never looking too far back because there's not really anything we can do about it, except learn. So I think we've learned from last year, and we're just moving forward. The expectation is to win."
For No. 89, he's making a conscious effort to not let opportunities on the field slip through his fingers.
"My main focus this season is to take advantage of every opportunity that I have, so if I get the ball thrown to me 10 times in practice tomorrow, I want to catch 10 passes. I want to maximize on my opportunities."
Cooper elaborated on his relationship with quarterback Derek Carr, and how they've grown together.
"We had a great mini-camp. We had a great OTAs [Organized Team Activities]. We've definitely grown in our relationship, and I feel that he trusts me more, I definitely trust him more. He knows how I'm going to run my routes, I know how he's going to throw every route, so we've definitely grown."
The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver has accomplished a lot in his first two seasons, but he is determined to do more.
"One-thousand yards is not really that hard to get in a 16-game season, and I've had a lot of games to where I didn't produce like I thought I should've. So, I definitely have a lot to improve on, and I feel like I can make that improvement this year."
