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Cooper has fond memories Ex-OSU coach remembers Stringer as 'happy-go-lucky'
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- John Cooper was in New York when he picked up a newspaper and read that Korey Stringer had collapsed during practice. Then the ex-Ohio State coach heard his former player died. His first thought was, "This can't happen. Not to Korey." "He was a very gifted, very talented young man. He loved life, loved Ohio State and loved his family," Cooper said. "I'll always remember the big, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky smile he always had on." Cooper said Stringer commanded respect from everybody on the team by virtue of his talent and outlook. "He was a great player when he walked in here," Cooper said. "I don't think I ever saw Korey without a big smile on his face. I think he could have been a standup comedian if he hadn't been such a great player. I had a lot of great moments with him."
"What a wonderful, wonderful kid he was," said Phil Annarella, who now coaches in Hermitage, Pa. "Korey's the whole reason guys like me coach. To be associated with a young man like that and to see him grow and develop. He's one of the treasures." Stringer's ability impressed Cooper from the start. In 1992, Stringer's first season, the Buckeyes beat Syracuse 35-12 on the road. "We went to Syracuse as a big underdog," Cooper said. "And we completely dominated them running the football, and primarily running the football behind Korey." Stringer was known in his hometown of Warren for his generosity. Steven Arnold, an assistant coach at Warren Harding when Stringer played there, was chatting with Stringer last week about the equipment a youth team needed. "He signed over his Pro Bowl check with no problem," Arnold told the Warren Tribune-Chronicle. Arnold said the team was able to buy equipment for 110 kids. "He wanted to make sure the kids had proper uniforms," Arnold said. Annarella's final thoughts underscored why Stringer meant so much to so many. "A gift to anyone who came in contact with him," he said.
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