In an era of college sports where nobody stays, one Wildcat has. 

Colt Cooper, redshirt senior defensive lineman from Quinlan, is the only Wildcat to have been with the program for the last five years. 

In fact, he is the only Wildcat who precedes Head Coach Keith Patterson amidst his fourth season at the helm of the football program.  

With the rising popularity of the NCAA transfer portal, coaching changes have often led to significant roster turnover. However, Cooper didn’t see it that way when Patterson arrived. 

“I never really thought about leaving,” Cooper said. “The first time we ever met with him, he said, ‘Well, all y’all can leave. I’m not telling y’all to stay, but if you do decide to stay, it’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make.’” 

Cooper also said he had never heard anything like that from a coach. It felt genuine and drew Cooper to the kind of person Patterson was. 

“I was like, ‘Man, this is the type of guy I want to coach me,’” Cooper said. “He’s somebody that actually cares about me as a person. He cares about my character.” 

For Cooper, football was one of many sports he played growing up, including soccer, baseball, and golf. He didn’t put on the pads until high school, though he played flag football when he was younger to allow him to develop the skills and fundamentals without worrying about getting hit. 

He committed to being a Wildcat on early signing day in the fall of his senior year. Afterwards, he went on to win both the shot put and discus events at state in his senior year. 

“I really wanted to pursue that in college,” Cooper said. 

The pursuit of both sports was something the previous head coach, Adam Dorrel, supported. Once Patterson took over the football program, he too encouraged it. 

“He loves two-sport athletes,” Cooper said. “He really pushed me and encouraged me to do it. He thinks that if you’re able to help the university in another sport, you should totally be able to do that.” 

While starting eight games and playing in 11 for the football team as a redshirt freshman tight end, Cooper recorded 16 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He also competed in seven meets with track and field, finishing ninth at the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championship in shot put. His throw measured 49-9 feet, a new personal record. 

Now, as the longest tenured Wildcat, Cooper has helped change the culture and shift the program into a United Athletic Conference powerhouse on the verge of its second conference title in two years. 

“He’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly,” Patterson said. “I’m proud that he stuck around for five years with the rules and the way college football has become. It’s very impressive.” 

Patterson also said the loyalty and leadership displayed by Cooper speak to his character and the type of man he has become. Additionally, Patterson wanted to see Cooper grow as a leader because he had stayed the course and been involved with the growth of the program.

“It comes with a huge responsibility,” Patterson said. “I told him, ‘It’s your responsibility to help pass that down to these guys who haven’t been here for five years.’” 

While he embraces being an older player and leader in the locker room, Cooper said he could have left after graduating with his bachelor’s degree, but chose to stay because of the people he’s surrounded by. 

“It’s not even about the football,” Cooper said. “It’s just about the people and culture that I’m around. It’s something that’s really helped me grow as a man.” 

Since taking over the program, Patterson has led the Wildcats to a 28-19 record in four seasons while going 17-4 at Wildcat Stadium, winning a UAC Championship and an FCS Playoff game in 2024. 

“KP really cares about the process,” Cooper said. “I really think we bought into it and now we’re unstoppable.” 

As Cooper nears the end of his football career, the Wildcats remain in contention for their second UAC title and a chance to play for the FCS Championship. Cooper has appeared in eight games, registering eight tackles and two fumble recoveries in 2025. 

Nearing the beginning of a new chapter in life, Cooper graduated with a degree in Kinesiology, focused on the sports and recreation management side of athletic training. He is also pursuing his master’s in marketing and is about to accept a job as a project manager for Horizon Cleaning and Restoration in Bourne, where his fiancée currently lives. He’ll play his final regular-season game as a Wildcat on Saturday against the University of Central Arkansas.