Pharoh Cooper after NFL playoff gaffes: ‘I’m always going to stand up to my mistakes’

In the span of less than 48 hours, former South Carolina star Pharoh Cooper went from the highlight of his young pro career to the very low point.

A day after he was named as a member of the Associated Press’s NFL All-Pro team as a kick and punt returner, the current Los Angeles Rams receiver made his first appearance in the postseason, and it did not go well — the Rams fell to the Atlanta Falcons, 26-13, and two miscues involving Cooper directly lead to 10 points for the Falcons.

Midway through the first quarter, the Rams defense forced Atlanta to punt. On the high kick by Falcons punter Matt Bosher, Cooper called for a fair catch but then tried to run away from the ball as several defenders and teammates sprinted toward him. Unfortunately for the Rams, the ball hit the leg of their own player, Blake Countess, and the Falcons recovered to keep possession. Soon after, Atlanta kicked a field goal.

Then, nearly at the end of the quarter, the Falcons kicked another field goal, and on the ensuing kickoff, Cooper muffed the catch and fumbled. Atlanta recovered and scored a touchdown on the very next drive to make the score 13-0.

Cooper finished the game with six kick returns for 120 yards and four punt returns for seven yards, both well below his season averages that put him in the Pro Bowl. Through 16 regular season games this year, Cooper had just one lost fumble.

After the game, Cooper did not shy away from taking ownership for the two turnovers.

“I’m always going to stand up to my mistakes,” Cooper told reporters. “I already told the team, the special teams, that was my fault. I can’t let that happen.”

In a tweet after the game as well, Cooper apologized to Rams fans.

“I’m sorry Ram nation and I Promise to learn from this experience and bounce back !!” he wrote.

This story was originally published January 7, 2018 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Pharoh Cooper after NFL playoff gaffes: ‘I’m always going to stand up to my mistakes’."