Really nothing is the same for Amari Cooper.
The Oakland Raiders team that drafted him fourth overall in 2015 moved to the desert. The Black Hole fans that Cooper loved playing in front of, they now flood Allegiant Stadium off the Las Vegas Strip.
Cooper has played there once with the Cleveland Browns in 2024. Ironically, he caught an 82-yard touchdown in that game that was called back on an offensive holding penalty – resulting in the Raiders ultimately pulling out a 20-16 victory.
His last remaining Oakland Raiders teammate left on the roster is Kolton Miller, drafted months prior to Cooper being traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
But even in a team headquarters and practice facility he’s never been inside, seeing the Raiders shield brings all those memories back.
“It was a good feeling because it was a dream come true,” Cooper said, reminiscing on being drafted by the Raiders. “Getting drafted in the first round, being a top five pick, being able to come to an NFL team and help them win. It was a great feeling.”
In the short time Cooper played for the Raiders, he left a lasting impact that still resonates with Raider Nation. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in three of his first four seasons and totaled 19 touchdown grabs in Oakland. He also led the team in receiving yards his first two seasons, with 1,153 yards in 2016 when the team went 12-4 en route to a playoff berth.
His decision to come back and play for the Raiders wasn’t complex.
“It was an opportunity to finish what I started. I think that was probably the main thing,” he said.
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