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Name: Nolan Cooney
Position: Punter/Kicker/Holder
Year: (Redshirt) Senior
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 196 lbs.
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I.
High School: East Greenwich
2019 stats: Nolan served as holder for placekicker Andre Szmyt (and a couple of times for Sterling Hofrichter) for the second straight year. He also handled four kickoffs with one of them going for a touchback.
2020 projections: Odds are that he continues his role as the primary holderbut with Hofrichter now with the Atlanta Falcons, Cooney will compete for both the punting and kickoff duties with incoming freshman James Williams.
How’d he get here?: Cooney spent a year at prep school in Maine, then walked on at Syracuse in 2016.
What’d recruiting sites say?: He was rated the top prospect at the Ray Guy Prokicker.com 2014 regional combine in Boston.
Money Quote: When asked who he would want to have lunch with Cooney went with the person most football players from New England would choose
“Patriots coach Bill Belichick. He is the ultimate leader and his success in NFL is unmatched at the highest level of competition. He finds the best attributes and skill in players and coaches to their strengths.”
Twitter feed: @nolancooney1
Tweets of wonder: A very infrequent tweeter we will go with this one which highlights Cooney’s role as Vice-President with Syracuse’s Uplifting Athletes chapter
Our Beyond The Trophy series where we highlight a #CollegeFootball player serving as a Leader or Chapter Officer continues. This week get to know @CuseFootball Punter/Kicker/Holder @NolanCooney1 #RareDiseases #WeTackleRare https://t.co/2YDfVPMxrP pic.twitter.com/K4NqMjAwHD
— Uplifting Athletes (@UpliftingAth) October 10, 2019
What movie would Dino recommend for him?: We know that specialists are known to be a bit unusual so there’s no better off-beat selection for a Rhode Island native than “Dumb and Dumber.” Maybe their methods are different but in the end they get the job done.
Interesting nugget o’interest: Cooney beat testicular cancer while in high school and his perseverance earned him the team’s Jim DaRin Courage Award in 2019
Let’s get a look at ya: Here’s Cooney holding for Hofrichter’s 52-yard field goal last fall.