Former Aggie Chris Cooley named to all-time Sun Belt team
Despite playing just one season in the Sun Belt Conference, former Utah State tight end Chris Cooley made a big enough impression to be named to the league’s 30-year anniversary all-time team.
The conference is celebrating its 30th year of competition and is naming 30-player all-time teams in its sponsored sports. The Sun Belt has played football for just four seasons, but current members were allowed to nominate players from anytime in their history, while former league members were allowed to nominate only players that played during their time in the conference.
Utah State was a member of the league in 2003 and 2004. Cooley was a senior in 2003 and produced one of the best seasons by a tight end in school history.
That year Cooley earned honorable mention All-America honors as well as being named a semifinalist for the John Mackey award given annually to the nation’s top tight end. He caught 62 passes for 732 yards and six touchdowns. His 6.2 receptions per game led the nation’s tight ends, which included Kellen Winslow, Heath Miller, Kris Wilson and Ben Troupe.
The first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection then played in the Senior Bowl and was a third-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins, where he started nine games as a rookie last year. Cooley pulled in 37 balls for 314 yards in his first NFL season.
“Mean” Joe Greene, who was a standout at North Texas, was named the all-time best player, while current North Texas coach Darrell Dickey was named the top coach.
ALL-TIME SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
Bill Bergey LB Arkansas State (1965-68)
Ken Jones OL Arkansas State (1972-75)
Maurice Carthon RB Arkansas State, 1979-82)
Fred Barnett WR Arkansas State (1986-89)
Carlos Emmons DE Arkansas State (1992-95)
Ray Brown OL Arkansas State (1983-85)
Rashod Smith RB Florida International (2002-04)
Brian Lindgren QB Idaho (2002-03)
Brian Mitchell RB Louisiana-Lafayette (1986-89)
Jake Delhomme QB Louisiana-Lafayette (1993-96)
Brandon Stokley WR Louisiana-Lafayette (1995-98)
Orlando Thomas DB Louisiana-Lafayette (1991-94)
Keener Cagle QB/K Louisiana-Lafayette (1922-25)
Alvin Dark QB/TB/K Louisiana-Lafayette (1943)
Stan Humphries QB Louisiana-Monroe (1986-87)
Joe Profit RB Louisiana-Monroe (1967-70)
Steven Jyles QB Louisiana-Monroe (2002-pres.)
Wes Counts QB Middle Tennessee (1998-2001)
Don Griffin DB Middle Tennessee (1982-85)
Dwone Hicks RB Middle Tennessee (1999-2002)
Steve Subia OL New Mexico State (2001-04)
Siddeeq Shabazz SS New Mexico State (2002-04)
Dario Aguiniga K New Mexico State (2001-03)
Joe Greene DE North Texas (1966-68)
Abner Haynes RB North Texas (1957-59)
Brandon Kennedy DL North Texas (2000-03)
DeWhitt Betterson RB Troy (2001-04)
Demarcus Ware DE Troy (2001-04)
Brock Nutter QB Troy (1998-2001)
Chris Cooley TE Utah State (2003)
ALL-TIME SUN BELT FOOTBALL PLAYER: Joe Greene, North TexasS A first-team All-American defensive end in 1968, Greene was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984. As a professional, Greene was a 10-time Pro Bowl Selection and helped the Pittsburgh Steelers capture four Super Bowl championships. He was a NFL Hall of Fame inductee in 1987.
ALL-TIME SUN BELT FOOTBALL COACH: Darrell Dickey, North TexasS Dickey has been named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year every year the league has sponsored football, compiling a Sun Belt record of 25-1. His program has won 25 straight Sun Belt games, marking the second-longest current streak in the nation. Dickey has coached 36 first-team All-Sun Belt Conference performers, more than any other coach. Additionally, North Texas is one of only 11 schools in NCAA history to win four consecutive conference football titles.