Cooley Named To Preseason Mackey Watch List

Cooley Named To Preseason Mackey Watch List

The senior tight end is just one of 22 on the list for the award.

Utah State senior tight end Chris Cooley was named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate tight end. Cooley is one of just 22 players named to the list, which is sponsored by the Nassau County (N.Y.) Sports Commission.

Cooley, a 6-4, 252-pound senior, is coming off a strong junior season as he caught 31 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns. His 31 receptions were the most by an Aggie tight end since 1999.

The former Logan High School standout closed the year with consecutive 100-yard receiving games, with 134 yards on seven receptions against Troy State and 105 yards on five catches against Middle Tennessee. His 134 yards against Troy State were the most by a tight end in school history, while his seven receptions in that game were a personal best.

As a sophomore in 2001, Cooley caught three passes for 21 yards. As a freshman he played on the defensive line and recorded 19 tackles, including four tackles for losses and two sacks.

Earlier this summer, Cooley was ranked as the nation's 19th best tight end byThe Sporting News magazine. He is the second Aggie to be named to a preseason award watch list this year, joining offensive guard Trevor Hutton, who is on the Outland Trophy watch list. That honor is for the top offensive lineman in the country.

The Aggies played against the 2002 John Mackey award winner in Dallas Clark, who played at Iowa last season. Clark was a first-round draft pick in the NFL this spring.

Mackey, a Nassau County native, is regarded as one of the best athletes to have played the position of tight end. In addition to being an NFL Hall of Famer, he is a Super Bowl winner (Baltimore, Super Bowl V) and was the first President of the NFLPA.