For Cooper Kupp, joining the Seattle Seahawks is more than just the beginning of a new chapter.
Yes, Kupp landed on his feet shortly after his release from the Los Angeles Rams, and now gets to face his former team twice a year. He also earned himself a very nice payday, signing a three-year deal worth $45 million.
Those are both important takeaways from this move, but so is Kupp's homecoming.
Kupp, 31, hails from Yakima, Wash., which is just a two-hour drive away from Seattle. He was also a two-sport star at Davis High School in Yakima, playing both football and basketball.
Then there's his record-setting career at Eastern Washington. Kupp became one of the most prolific receivers in college football history on the Eagles' red field in Cheney, Wash., recording 428 receptions for 6,464 yards and 78 touchdowns over his career. Those all still stand as FCS, and his 428 receptions are the most by any college football player ever.
Unfortunately, the Seahawks didn't draft Kupp coming out of Eastern Washington, with the Rams instead scooping him up in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He made them pay for that decision, as he has 70 receptions for 815 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games against the Seahawks, nine of which his Rams won. He only has more receptions and yards against one other team, that being the Arizona Cardinals with 76 receptions for 881 yards and five touchdowns. Even though he played them more often than other teams, Kupp routinely tortured his hometown team while playing for a division rival.
Now, though, he has a chance to thrive in his home state again, and the Seahawks certainly hope he can play as well for them as he did against them.
