Rush Hour: The rise of Cooper Rush
After leading the Dallas Cowboys to another stunning victory, this time over the Los Angeles Rams, the hype over quarterback Cooper is for all to see.
His journey started in Week One of the 2022 NFL season. The Cowboys lost their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott for a significant amount of time with the thumb injury. At that moment, Cowboys fans flashbacked to Prescott’s leg injury against the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. After that injury, the Cowboys became a mediocre team, led by Andy Dalton, going 6-10.
While the absence of Prescott is similar, the team is riding a 4-0 win streak under Rush, to the surprise of many Cowboys and NFL fans alike. As a starter for the Cowboys, Rush has an overall record of 5-0, the best record of any Dallas quarterback in his first five games.
In this blog, we will be cataloguing the career of Cooper Rush, through college, finding his way to the NFL, and becoming the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
The early years
Born in Charlotte, Michigan in November 1993, Rush attended Lansing Catholic high school and played quarterback for their football team. Coming out of high school, Rush was a 3-star recruit, receiving offers from Central Michigan and Toledo University, ultimately deciding on the former.
Rush was one of the best quarterbacks in Central Michigan history. In his four seasons with the team, Rush racked up over 12,800 passing yards and 90 touchdowns with three bowl appearances.
NFL breakout
While Rush had a great career with Central Michigan, he went undrafted in the 2017 NFL draft. After the draft, Rush signed with the Cowboys and made the 53 man roster, serving as the backup quarterback to Dak Prescott.
Rush would serve that role for the next three seasons, making five appearances in that span. During the 2020 offseason, the Cowboys released Rush in order to sign Andy Dalton as their new backup quarterback.
That same year, Rush signed with the New York Giants on their practice squad. He was then released in September, before ending up back in Dallas, this time as the quarterback of the practice squad.
Over the next two seasons, Rush would remain on the Cowboys, switching between practice squad and backup, competing with other quarterbacks Ben DiNucci and Will Grier on the roster.
As a starter, Rush’s stats have not stood out too much. In five games as a starter, Rush has accumulated over 1,150 passing yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Rush is also currently 9th in the NFL in total QBR with a 61.1 rating.
While Rush’s stats are not eye popping, he is able to run an effective game, combined with a league leading defense, to lead the Cowboys to more wins.
