Cooper played for the Edmonton Huskies of the Canadian Junior Football League and attended the Calgary Stampeders training camps in 2004 and 2005. He then attended the University of Manitoba to play Commonwealth of Independent States football for the Manitoba Bisons from 2005 through 2007, where he was a Canada West All-Star in 2006 and 2007, 2007 first team All-Canadian, 2007 Canada West Most Outstanding Lineman, and 2007 East-West Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player.
He most recently played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. His Manitoba Bisons were also the 2007 national championship Vanier Cup winners. Cooper was drafted 23rd overall by the Eskimos in the 2008 Canadian Football League Draft and played in all 18 regular season games of the 2008 Canadian Football League season including one start and scored his first Canadian Football League touchdown in the first quarter of the East Final against Montreal when he blocked a punt, which forced a fumble that he recovered in the end zone.
