Three Aggie seniors play in bowl games
Three Utah State football seniors were selected to play in postseason all-star bowl games recently.
Tight end Chris Cooley played in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Offensive Guard Trevor Hutton played in the Las Vegas All-American Classic on Jan. 17. Cornerback Mark Estelle participated in the Rotary Gridiron Classic in The Villages, Fla.
Cooley, a former Logan High School star, had a very impressive senior year despite breaking his foot early in the season. He was the leading receiving tight end in the country with 6.2 receptions per game.
The John Mackey Award semi-finalist was ranked by cbssportsline.com as the nation’s top tight end in the nation for much of the season. Cooley was also the team’s tri-captain, and at season’s end was named first team all-Sun Belt Conference.
His final statistics for the season were 62 receptions for 732 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games.
Cooley played in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24. The Senior Bowl is considered the most prestigious of all the college all-star games.
“It was a really exciting experience – very high pressure there was always someone watching or wanting to talk to you,” Cooley said. “The first time we stepped on to the practice field there was about 1,000 coaches and scouts.”
In the game, Cooley played every one of his downs strictly as a tight end, none at fullback, where some scouts think he may potentially end up at the pro level.
Cooley caught one pass in the game for seven yards.
“The play was really fast, no room for error,” Cooley said.
Along with playing with the nation’s best college seniors, Cooley was being coached by NFL coaches.
“It was really exciting, you know they know their stuff, and you just want to do all you can,” Cooley said.
NFLdraftcountdown.com has Cooley ranked as the seventh-best tight end prospect in the upcoming draft.
When asked what his best assets are Cooley replied, “My hands and my ability to run after the catch.”
NFLdraftcountdown.com’s Scott Wright concurs: “Cooley has some very good tools but his lack of speed will hurt him … an underrated prospect who could be a very good pass catching tight end in the pros.”
Cooley will be going to Los Angeles on Sunday to work with a speed coach on his 40-yard dash time. Internet scouting services predict Cooley going anywhere from the second round of the NFL draft to the seventh. Cooley compares himself to the Baltimore Raven’s Todd Heap.
In his senior year at Utah State, Hutton started all 11 games this fall, making it 22 straight for the California native.
At 6-foot-2, 308 pounds, Hutton punished defensive linemen all season, and was named second-team all-Sun Belt Conference. The chance to play in a postseason bowl game was a great experience for Hutton as well, he said.
“As soon as we got down there we had a lot of exposure from scouts,” Hutton said. “We practiced in front of hundreds of them a day. They really watch every little thing you do.”
Hutton played well in the Las Vegas All-American game, paving the way for future NFL backs throughout the game.
“We all came together, we all wanted to see each other succeed,” he said.
Hutton will be working out in front of scouts at the university in a couple months.
“Right now we’re running and lifting hard so when testing comes around, we’ll be at our peak,” he said.
Hutton hopes to impress scouts with his strength. He owns the school squat record at 802 pounds. He’s also second on the bench press, maxing out at 525 pounds.
Mark Estelle also had a solid senior year with the Aggies. Following the season, Estelle was recognized as the team’s defensive MVP, along with being named Most Outstanding Defensive Back for the second consecutive year.
Despite his size, just 5-feet-9 inches, 175 lbs, Estelle showed toughness, recording 45 tackles on the year. The two-year starter also grabbed two interceptions and had five pass break-ups on the season.
-bcb@cc.usu.edu