Cooney and Culpepper Honored by Uplifting Athletes
12/21/2020 2:39:00 PM | Football
Rex Culpepper and Nolan Cooney, who have each persevered through battles with cancer to return to the football field an be key contributors for the Orange this season, were honored for that fight by Uplifting Athletes.
Named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team, Cooney and Culpepper will be honored as part of the National College Football Awards Association (NFCAA), traditionally held at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala annually, but will not be held this year due to COVID-10.
Cooney was diagnosed with testicular cancer as a junior in high school, and that fight is what turned his attention to football. Initially a three-sport athlete in high school, playing soccer, basketball and baseball, Cooney's cancer had spread to his lungs when doctors caught it, requiring him to be sidelined from sports and school for nine weeks.
During that time, Cooney's dad suggested he try to attend a kicking camp after he was back to full strength after he had shown to have a strong leg with soccer. In the weeks that followed, Cooney taught himself how to punt and used the kicking camp as a benchmark to work towards as he recovered. After a successful camp, he did a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy, playing his first year of football.
Still, Cooney enrolled at Syracuse with no football offers to play collegiately, until he emailed the coaching staff asking to walk-on to the team. Roy Wittke extended Cooney the offer, where after sitting for four seasons behind All-American punter Sterling Hofrichter, he took over the starting job this season. Cooney was 13th nationally in net punting and saw 25 punts of 50+ yards, 24 downed inside the 20 and surrendered just three touchbacks.
Culpepper was diagnosed with cancer during the winter of 2018, undergoing 100 hours of chemotherapy before returning to the football field. This season, Culpepper started five games, throwing for 1,028 yards and nine touchdowns.
He continues to be an inspiration to many for his courageous battle, which saw him earn the team's Jim DaRin Award for Courage in his first season back.
Named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team, Cooney and Culpepper will be honored as part of the National College Football Awards Association (NFCAA), traditionally held at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala annually, but will not be held this year due to COVID-10.
Cooney was diagnosed with testicular cancer as a junior in high school, and that fight is what turned his attention to football. Initially a three-sport athlete in high school, playing soccer, basketball and baseball, Cooney's cancer had spread to his lungs when doctors caught it, requiring him to be sidelined from sports and school for nine weeks.
During that time, Cooney's dad suggested he try to attend a kicking camp after he was back to full strength after he had shown to have a strong leg with soccer. In the weeks that followed, Cooney taught himself how to punt and used the kicking camp as a benchmark to work towards as he recovered. After a successful camp, he did a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy, playing his first year of football.
Still, Cooney enrolled at Syracuse with no football offers to play collegiately, until he emailed the coaching staff asking to walk-on to the team. Roy Wittke extended Cooney the offer, where after sitting for four seasons behind All-American punter Sterling Hofrichter, he took over the starting job this season. Cooney was 13th nationally in net punting and saw 25 punts of 50+ yards, 24 downed inside the 20 and surrendered just three touchbacks.
Culpepper was diagnosed with cancer during the winter of 2018, undergoing 100 hours of chemotherapy before returning to the football field. This season, Culpepper started five games, throwing for 1,028 yards and nine touchdowns.
He continues to be an inspiration to many for his courageous battle, which saw him earn the team's Jim DaRin Award for Courage in his first season back.
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