Marquez Cooper’s football journey took an unexpected turn — not toward NFL Sundays as he envisioned — but into the tighter, faster confines of the Indoor Football League. Yet, through every snap with the Arizona Rattlers, Cooper sees not a detour but a stepping stone toward his ultimate goal.
“I want to be in the NFL, obviously,” Cooper said. “But this is a great opportunity to get film and develop more. I’m trying to continue to keep working, keep growing, and I’m the same guy — even better — than I was in college … That is all I’m trying to prove right now.”
It’s a humbling chapter for the 5-foot-7 back who rushed for over 5,000 yards across three college programs — Kent State, Ball State, and SDSU — and became the first Football Bowl Subdivision player ever to boast 1,000-yard seasons at three different schools. But despite his historic production, Cooper’s NFL dreams hit a snag when turf toe and a rough Pro Day performance in March kept teams from calling.
“I had a lot of interest leading up to the Pro Day,” Cooper said. “I didn’t take care of business on Pro Day — I had double turf toe at the time — but I’m a competitor. I played 54 out of 54 college games. I don’t think those Pro Day results were a true reflection of me.”
That one painful day sent Cooper into a spiral.
“I thought football was over. I thought it was over,” he admitted. “I gave everything I had to it, man, so to not get an opportunity to even prove myself back from that day was just sad. But I couldn’t feel bad for myself. The Rattlers ended up finding me and gave me an opportunity.”
When the Rattlers’ starting back went down with an injury, running backs coach Dante Morris saw an opening and, after scouring Cooper’s tape, wasted no time.

“Everywhere that he’s been, he’s been able to be successful. Each school that he went to, he had 1,000 yards. That shows high production,” Morris said. “And he’s a hard worker who wants to be great. Even if he has a great day, he wants to find out a way he can be even better than that.”
For Morris, it’s Cooper’s mentality — not just his numbers — that made him an ideal fit for the Rattlers.
“Having a player of his caliber who just wants to get better every day, you can’t get anything better than that as a coach.”
The adjustment to the indoor game wasn’t just about a shorter field or faster pace. It demanded mental toughness and humility.
“It’s definitely a humbling phase,” Morris said. “You come here and realize: I’m not in the NFL, I’m indoor. But after that humble pie, it’s time to put in the work. If you do what you’re supposed to do here, you’re going to get an opportunity.”
That mindset fit Cooper perfectly. “It was a learning curve, but that was just to learn the plays,” he said. “Playing football is playing football. Once the ball was in my hand, I make plays.”
For Cooper, whose 5,130 career rushing yards made history at Kent State, Ball State, and SDSU, Morris’s call was the lifeline he needed. However, joining midseason meant earning everything — from mastering the playbook to earning playing time.

“I sat and waited three weeks just practicing before I was granted the opportunity to travel with the team,” And after three weeks of practice, his chance came. On June 14 against the Tucson Sugar Skulls, Cooper made his IFL debut, logging nine rushing yards on three carries.
“He’s brought physicality to the room, and a pro’s pro mentality,” Morris said. “Sometimes to the top, you gotta take an alternate route, but it doesn’t mean that it’s over. If you do the work, you can get another opportunity to get back to where you were.”
That work — and his drive — are fueled by more than football. His son, Madden, is never far from his mind.
“I don’t get too much time to be down about anything,” Cooper said. “I have to be okay in order to take care of him and teach him how to deal with adversity. I hope he sees that I gave everything I had every single day. I just want him to be proud of me.”
And Cooper’s fire still burns bright.
“A lot of those guys that were chosen over me should not have been,” he said. “It’s not about the potential of what they think they can do — it’s what people actually can do. I rushed for 5,000 yards throughout my career. I should have got my opportunity to practice.”
But he’s not done proving himself.
“This is definitely a stepping stone to continue to try to be in the NFL,” Cooper said. “Football helped me grow as a man … dealing with adversity, competing, and durability — who’s going to last the longest? I’m doing everything I can to be a dog on the field and provide.”