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Following a very impressive Week 6 performance in which he returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a score against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams' WR/KR Pharoh Cooper has been named the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Week.
On the opening kickoff today in Jacksonville...@KingTutt_chdown goes the distance! 103 yards! #LARams pic.twitter.com/DdBXeicgL5
— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2017
Cooper joins Trumaine Johnson, Todd Gurley, and Greg Zuerlein as Rams' 2017 award winners. Johnson forced two turnovers in Week 1 -- one of which was a pick six on Colts' QB Scott Tolzien on the very first pass play of the game. Gurley won Offensive Player of the Week honors following a Week 4 performance in which he racked up 215 total yards of offense (121 rushing, 94 receiving). Rams' kicker Greg Zuerlein had an equally impressive Week 4 performance, nailing all seven field goal attempts and both extra points on his way to a Special Teams Player of the Week award.
Fans who may have been concerned about the loss of Benny Cunningham - the team's primary kick returner from 2013-2016 - can set their minds at ease.
Cooper leads the NFL in kick return yards in 2017, with 476. It's not particularly close for second place (Quan Bray - 319 yards). He also leads the league in return average (31.73 yards). Cooper, and Ravens' Bobby Rainey, are the only two players to have returned a kickoff for a score this year.
The 103 yard play marks the first time a Rams' player has returned a kickoff for a score since 2005.