Kendrick Cooper, a Shawnee high school student in
a recent interview:
Q & A | Shawnee's Kendrick Cooper
Kendrick Cooper, 17, has caught two touchdown passes and intercepted two passes for Shawnee's 2-7 team, which will end its season tonight in a game against DeSales at Fairdale. The 5-foot-10 160-pounder finished second in his region in the 300-meter hurdles and qualified for the State Class AA Track Meet last spring but did not make it to the finals. He will compete in swimming for the first time this winter "to keep in shape'' for track and tennis.
Q: You go to the airport each day to take ground school and flight training. How's that going?
Cooper: I took my first solo flight not too long ago. I flew around the pattern at the airport and landed. It was just a normal flight for me, but when I looked to my right (where the instructor usually sits) nobody was there.
Q: How serious are you about flying?
Cooper: I want to become a pilot for the Marine Corps after college. After four years of tour duty, I'd like to become a commercial pilot, maybe for UPS. I just love planes. I love to fly. I went to Junior Flight School in the fifth grade. My teacher was Stacey Linn, who now teaches me at Shawnee.
Q: Where do you plan to attend college?
Q: I want to go to Hampton University in Virginia and major in computer science and take Navy ROTC there.
Q: How do you compete in track and tennis when they're both in the same season?
Cooper: I have two practices a day. I do tennis first, then go run. One time I had a track meet at Eastern and a tennis match at Chickasaw Park the same day. I did that (two events in one day) four times last year.
Q: What has been your biggest thrill in football?
Cooper: Catching my first touchdown pass in a varsity game against Atherton and catching two deep passes (both longer than 25 yards) against Male.
Q: How's this season gone (Shawnee's wins were over Moore 38-0 and Atherton 40-14)?
Cooper: I figured our record should be reversed (7-2), so I'm disappointed. We played Christian Academy close last week (a 28-20 loss). I like football. You've got to have fun, or there's no reason to play. I'll try to play in college. I'll probably be a DB (defensive back).
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Friday, October 28th 2005 at 11:34AM
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