 He was born in Mesa, Arizona and in raised in Gilbert, Arizona, and attended Gilbert Junior High School and Highland High School, where he became an All-State player in football.Though his grandfather worked in the athletic department of Arizona State University, Cooper attended the University of Washington.He graduated with a degree in sociology and was a member of the Pac-10 All-Conference team in 2003. Cooper and wife Rebekah, who met while attending the University of Washington, have a daughter named Delaney Christine.