Cooper Kupp
Cooper Kupp might just have to have an addition to his trophy case when he has his first house.
Eastern Washington University's sure-handed junior wide receiver secured arguably the pinnacle offensive honor in the Football Championship Subdivision when on Monday, Dec. 21 it was announced he had won the 2015 Walter Payton Award.
The Payton will be handed off to Kupp Jan. 8, 2016, on the eve of the FCS championship game in Frisco, Texas. Kupp is also a candidate for the Offensive Player of the Year presented by the FCS Athletic Director's Association with that winner also announced Jan. 8.
Kupp becomes the third Eastern player to win the Payton, given each year to the top offensive player in FCS football. Quarterbacks Erik Meyer collected the award in 2005 and Bo Levi Mitchell was the recipient in 2011.
He becomes only the second wide receiver to win the Payton Award, with Brian Finneran from Villanova winning in 1997. Kupp also became just the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award.
In 2015, Kupp led FCS in five categories: receptions, receptions per game (10.4), reception yards (1,642), reception yards per game (149.3) and touchdown receptions (19).
Kupp has previously been honored as a first team selection on All-America teams announced by the American Football Coaches Association, STATS, Associated Press, the FCS Athletic Director's Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation and College Sports Madness. The FCS ADA selected him as its recipient of the FCS Wide Receiver of the Year and he was also a first team Academic All-American in 2015.
A 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., Kupp's 2015 season included a Big Sky Conference record of 114 receptions.
In just three years, Kupp already ranks second in FCS history in touchdown catches (56, two behind the record), second in reception yards (4,764, 486 behind the record) and fourth in receptions (311, 84 behind the record).
Kupp announced Nov. 30 that he will return to Eastern in 2016 for his senior season, forgoing the spring NFL draft.
The Payton Award is selected by Mickey Charles LLC of http://www.FCSAwards.com. The awards program for the NCAA Football Championship was founded by Charles and The Sports Network.
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