Bio

SENIOR (2016): Kupp announced on Nov. 30, 2015, he will indeed return for his senior season at EWU in 2016 in lieu of pursuing professional opportunities a year early. “I’ve decided that I want to spend the 2016 season as an Eagle and be part of something great here at Eastern Washington,” he said. “I believe that God has a plan for me and a great plan for Eastern Washington, and I want to be a part of that. I look forward to this off-season and getting Eastern Washington back into the National Championship. I thank Eagle Nation for their support of me and all the Eagles here at Eastern Washington. The successes we experienced this year and in years past, we share with them as well. I want to express my gratitude. I thank everybody for their support for us, and I look forward to seeing everybody out on the Red in 2016. Go Eags.”  In 2016, Kupp could be the first wide receiver and just the fourth player overall in what will be the 54-year history of the Big Sky Conference to earn first team All-Big Sky honors four seasons. The others are Weber State’s Trevyn Smith (RB 2006-09), Weber State’s Scott Shields (Kicker 1995-97, Punter 1996, Strong Safety 1998) and Charvez Foger (RB 1985-88). Entering his senior season, Kupp has helped Eastern win 29 games overall and 20 in the Big Sky Conference in the past three seasons, with two outright Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths his freshman and sophomore seasons. Eastern had a six-game winning streak in 2015, but finished the year with a three-game losing streak and final records of 6-5 and 5-3. Kupp and the Eagles will open the 2016 season Sept. 3, 2015, when they play at Washington State. In three career games against Pac-12 opponents, Kupp has caught 28 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns – including Autzen Stadium records of 15 catches for 246 yards against Oregon (9/5/15). Eastern follows that with games against a pair of teams who played in the NCAA Football Championship Playoffs – North Dakota State and Northern Iowa. Kupp’s younger brother, Ketner, will be a sophomore linebacker for the Eagles this year. Ketner played in all 11 Eastern games as a true freshman in 2015, finishing with 19 tackles and an interception.
 
JUNIOR (2015): The sensational Eastern Washington University junior wide receiver won his third NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Year honor Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas, when his name was read among three finalists at the inaugural STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentations. The record-breaking offensive juggernaut edged a pair of running backs – Marshaun Coprich from Illinois State and Kade Harrington from Lamar. Kupp received 34 first-place votes and 378 total to win by narrow margin. Harrington had 349 votes and was picked first on 26 ballots, and Coprich finished with 275 votes and 23 first-place votes. Previously, he became only the second wide receiver to ever win the Payton Award, with Brian Finneran from Villanova winning in 1997. The awards program for the NCAA Football Championship was founded by Mickey Charles and The Sports Network, and is now in its 29th year. But The Sports Network ceased operation in summer of 2015, and the Walter Payton Award and other awards are now independently presented by Mickey Charles LLC. Kupp is the third Eagle to win the honor, with quarterback Erik Meyer honored in 2005 and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell receiving the award in 2011. Eastern has now won the award three times out of eight total Payton’s won by the Big Sky Conference. Kupp also was the FCS Player of the Year as awarded by the FCS Athletic Director’s Association (FCS ADA). He was also honored as a first team selection on All-America teams announced by the American Football Coaches Association, STATS, Associated Press, the FCS Athletic Director’s Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation and College Sports Madness. The FCS ADA selected him as its recipient of FCS Wide Receiver of the Year and he was also a first team Academic All-American in 2015 as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Eastern football players have now earned 12 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1989, including six first-team selections. Nine different players have garnered those honors, including repeat selections Kupp (2014 and 2015), Steve Mattson (1996 and 1997), and Kyler Randall (2002 and 2003). An economics major with a 3.56 grade point average, he earned second team Academic All-America honors as a junior. He was also honored in 2015 as a member of the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team and on the Academic All-District 8 Football Team for the second-straight season. Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award, and continued a long legacy of Eagles to win the award. Eastern players have now won the honor 11 times in the last 15 seasons, and 12 times overall. Kupp’s spectacular 2015 season included 114 receptions. That broke the previous school record of 104 he set in 2014 and the league record of 112 set in 2011 by Idaho State’s Rodrick Rumble. His 114 catches ranks eighth all-time in FCS history. In 2015, Kupp led FCS in five categories – receptions, receptions per game (10.4), reception yards (1,642), reception yards per game (149.3) and touchdown receptions (19). The players closest to him in FCS were eight catches, 170 yards and four TDs behind him, and in the league the next-best player for catches was teammate Kendrick Bourne (73) and for yards it was NAU’s Emmanuel Butler (1,208). Eastern led FCS in passing offense with an average of 353.3 yards per game, and were eighth in total offense (478.5). He had school records of 20 catches for 275 yards in a 43-41 win over Northern Colorado (10/24/15) to earn six prestigious honors, including a trio of national player of the week accolades. He was the STATS Offensive Player of the Week, NCAA.com Offensive Player of the Week and was a College Sporting News All-Star. He was also the ROOT Sports/Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week for the second time of his career (three including special teams). Kupp's catch total against UNC was the eighth-most in FCS history and the most by a wide receiver in Big Sky history (Montana State running back David Pandt had 21 versus EWU in 1985). Kupp's yards were the 20th-most all-time in the FCS. One week earlier he had a 14-catch performance at Idaho State (10/17/15) in which he had 161 yards and two touchdowns receiving, another TD on a 76-yard punt return and a 24-yard scoring pass to quarterback Jordan West. As a result, he was the College Football Performance Awards National FCS Performer of the Week, a College Sporting News All-Star and received honorable mention National Player of the Week honors from STATS. His punt return against the Bengals earned him ROOT Sports Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Earlier in the season, on his way to earning Big Sky Conference ROOT Sports co-Offensive Player of the Week accolades, Kupp finished with then career highs of 15 catches for 246 yards – both Autzen Stadium records – in a 61-42 loss to Oregon (9/515). In Eastern’s next game at Northern Iowa (9/12/15), Kupp had nine receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns to earn HERO Sports “Stud of the Week” accolades and honorable mention FCS Performer of the Week honors from College Football Performance Awards. In the preseason, Kupp was one of 22 FCS players selected by STATS to the watch list for its FCS Offensive Player of the Year award, and was a first team selection on the STATS preseason FCS All-America team.
 
SOPHOMORE (2014): He spent the year on the Watch List for the Walter Payton Award, which was presented by The Sports Network to the top player in FCS. He finished 18th in the voting after a record-breaking season that included consensus FCS All-America honors for the second-straight season. He was named first team All-America by six organizations – American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, The Sports Network, College Sports Madness and Beyond Sports Network. In addition, he earned first team All-Big Sky honors for the second-straight season, and was a third team all-league selection as a return specialist. College Sports Madness also honored him as a first team all-league pick and second team as a punt returner. Also, he was selected to Academic All-America Division I football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Selected to the second team, he was one of only two sophomores among the 50 players honored, with freshmen not eligible. Earlier in the season he joined three other Eagles on the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team. Kupp finished the season with a FCS-best 104 catches to rank 11th all-time in FCS history (19th player to hit the century mark in a single season). Kupp broke the school record of 95 set in 2011 by his current wide receivers coach, Nick Edwards. He finished second in league history behind the 112 of Idaho State’s Rodrick Rumble, also in 2011. The sophomore’s season total of 16 receiving touchdowns ranked second in FCS (the leader had 17), and he also ranked fifth in receptions per game (8.0, total of 104) and was fifth in receiving yards per game (110.1 per game, total of 1,431). He had seven receiving performances of at least 100 yards as a sophomore. He was the College Football Performance Awards wide receiver performer of the week when he finished with eight receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Washington (9/6/14), the school his grandfather played for in the 1960’s. Kupp also received honorable mention honors from CFPA twice during the year – against Montana State (9/20/14) when he had nine catches for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and again two weeks later versus Idaho State when he had eight catches for 132 yards and three scores. He was also the team’s offensive player of the week for his performance against ISU. He closed the year with 10 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns versus Illinois State (12/13/14) in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. One game earlier in the second round of the playoffs, he had a then career-best 12 catches versus Montana (12/6/14). He also added punt returns to his arsenal of big plays, including a 67-yard return for a touchdown against Montana (11/8/14) to earn punt returns performer of the week from College Football Performance Awards. It was the first punt return for a touchdown for the Eagles since Tony Davis had a 60-yard return versus Oregon State on Aug. 31, 2006. A 41-yard punt return by Kupp in the first quarter helped set-up Eastern’s first score of the day against Northern Arizona (10/25/14), earning him EWU’s special teams player of the week honor. He averaged 16.2 on 10 punt returns and would have ranked fourth in FCS if he had enough attempts to qualify (he had 10 and would need 15 to meet the minimum of 1.2 per game). The only game he missed in his career came versus Montana Western (8/30/14) when he was held out for precautionary reasons with a nagging ankle injury.
 
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2013): Was a runaway winner of the Jerry Rice Award, presented by The Sports Network to the top freshman in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Four other media organizations also selected him as their Freshman of the Year (College Sporting News, College Sports Journal, College Sports Madness and Phil Steele Publications). He also won the FCS Wide Receiver Award presented by the College Football Performance Awards. He was a first team All-America selection on nine different teams and was a first team Freshman All-America pick on two squads. As a member of The Sports Network All-America team, he became one of only five freshmen in FCS to earn first team honors since 1990 and the second wide receiver (Randy Moss 1996). Kupp was also a first team All-America selection by the American Football Coaches Association (the only freshman or sophomore on the squad), College Sporting News (“Fabulous 50”), the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Associated Press, College Sports Journal, Beyond Sports Network, College Sports Madness and Phil Steele Publications. He was a member of Freshman All-America teams selected by College Sports Journal and Phil Steele Publications. In addition, he was the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year and one of two unanimous first team All-BSC selections (the other was teammate Vernon Adams as both received first-team votes on all 12 ballots as selected by the league’s head coaches). Kupp set a total of six FCS records in his debut season, as well as four school marks and a Big Sky record. The redshirt freshman broke the FCS all-time record for receptions, yards and touchdowns by a freshman with totals of 93 catches, 1,691 yards and 21 TDs (previously held by Randy Moss). He broke the all-time FCS record with a TD catch in 14 consecutive games. He caught two TD passes in seven games and one in the other seven games of the first 14 games of his collegiate career. The previous record was 11, and one of the former record holders was Randy Moss. He combined with second team All-Big Sky wide receiver Ashton Clark for the FCS record for combined receiving yards by two players with a total of 2,924 (Kupp 1,691 and Clark 1,233). His yardage was fourth overall in FCS history and his TD catches were also fourth. The Big Sky record he broke was the 45-year-old record of 20 TD catches set by Ed Bell from Idaho State in 1969. He was fifth in FCS and tops among freshmen in receiving yards per game (112.7), first in total receiving yards and 25th in receptions per game (6.2). Kupp had eight 100-yard receiving games, including a 205-yard game against Idaho State (11/2/13). He also caught eight or more passes seven times, with 11 against both Montana (10/26/13) and Southern Utah (10/19/13). He twice earned Sports Network FCS Freshman of the Week honors after wins over Montana (10/26/13) with 11 receptions, 182 yards and two TD, and Cal Poly (11/16/13) with eight catches for 139 yards and two more scores. Four times during the season he earned team offensive player of the week honors. Started all 15 games as a wide receiver in his Eagle debut season. In a sign of things to come, Kupp caught eight passes for 119 yards and had touchdown catches of 27 and 26 yards in EWU’s Red-White Spring Game. In a total of three spring scrimmages, he caught 11 passes for 150 yards and a pair of TDs.
 
FRESHMAN (2012): Redshirted. Was selected as Eastern’s Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. Was selected as the team’s offensive scout team player of the week once, and twice for special teams.
 
HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Davis HS in 2012. A two-way All-State selection, he earned first team 4A All-State honors as a defensive back and honorable mention accolades as a wide receiver from Associated Press as selected by sportswriters and broadcasters. Named by the Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. Also selected among “others to watch” on Ron Siegel’s pre-season All-State team (seniors only). Was a unanimous first team All-Columbia Basin Big Nine League wide receiver and defensive back at Davis. He finished his senior season with 60 receptions for 1,059 yards (17.7 per catch) and 18 touchdowns, and scored 22 total touchdowns to set a school record. He also had 11 rushes for 122 yards and two touchdowns as he helped Davis come one game away from a berth in the State 4A Playoffs. Davis finished 6-4 for the second straight year, giving the program back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1968-69. Kupp’s career came to an end in a 68-22 playoff loss to Mead, as Kupp finished with six catches for 87 yards. But he also filled in at quarterback because of an injury to Davis’ starter, and was 5-of-10 for 76 yards. A three-year starter, Kupp had 31 catches for 811 yards (26.2 per catch) and seven touchdowns as a junior to earn first team All-CBBN honors. With 19 catches for 230 yards as a sophomore, he finished his career with 110 catches for 2,100 yards. Also a three-year letter winner in basketball, the Pirates finished 23-2 and won the State 4A Tournament championship with a 48-42 title game victory over Central Valley. Kupp scored seven points and had five rebounds in that game, and four points, three rebounds and a pair of steals in a come-from-behind 52-46 win over Bellarmine Prep in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, a 79-45 romp over Bothell, Kupp scored 19 points with four rebounds and five assists. The Pirates held their opponents to less than 50 points in all six of their postseason games. Kupp was a 4.0 honors student at Davis.
 
PERSONAL: Economics major with a 3.62 grade point average. He is nearing completion on his degree with a minor in business administration, but will continue studies in those areas through fall quarter of 2016. Born 6/15/93 in Yakima, Wash. His parents are Craig and Karin Kupp, who were both inducted into the Pacific Lutheran University Hall of Fame in 2003. Karin (formerly Karin Gilmer) was a soccer player and Craig played football. Craig, who graduated from Selah (Wash.) High School, was a fifth-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 1990 and played in 1991 for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. Cooper’s great-uncle, Jeff Kupp, lettered as an offensive lineman at Eastern from 1982-84 during EWU’s transition from NAIA to the FCS (then known as I-AA). Cooper’s grandfather, Jake Kupp, was an offensive lineman for the University of Washington and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played from 1964-75 as a guard with Dallas, the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. Named to the NFL All-Rookie team, he later was a five-time captain for the Saints. He was named to the franchise’s 25-year All-Time Team and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1991, the same year that Craig played in the NFL. And Karin’s father, Tom Gilmer, is also a member of the PLU Hall of Fame as a Lute quarterback and record-setting punter in the late 1950’s. He is also in the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame after also serving as the long-time football coach for Washington High School in Tacoma. Cooper’s parents went to Philadelphia, Pa., on Dec. 16, 2013, to accept the Jerry Rice Award on behalf of Cooper while the team prepared for its semifinal matchup in the FCS Playoffs against Towson. They also were on hand – as well as both sets of his grandparents and his wife and her parents – when he was awarded the FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentations. In Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2016.