(ANALYSIS) Cooper Kupp helped punch the Rams’ ticket to the NFC championship and Super Bowl 56 this year with his stellar performance against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then the San Francisco 49ers.

Kupp posted more than 180 yards, a touchdown and a game-winning drive to put the Rams in field goal range with four seconds left against the Bucs. As an All Pro selection and NFL MVP candidate in the 2022 season, he gained 1,947 receiving yards — the second most in NFL history behind Calvin Johnson‘s 1,964 — and 16 touchdowns. But above all, what’s most noticeable is Kupp’s character and Christian faith.  

Kupp was a stellar college player but was not highly scouted by the NFL, despite graduating with a 3.65 GPA and a degree in economics from Football Championship Subdivision school Eastern Washington University. There, he was a four-time First Team Big Sky All-Conference and a two-time Big Sky Offensive player of the year. He even snagged the FCS Player of the Year award. In his four-year career, Kupp managed to become the FCS’ all-time leader in receptions, with 428, and touchdowns, with 73. Kupp was eventually drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as the 69th pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Being a third-round pick from a nontypical football school, Kupp had to prove himself, becoming one the most effective wide receivers in football. Kupp posted an impressive rookie season in 2017, with 869 yards and five touchdowns. The following year, Kupp started off strong, with 566 yards and six touchdowns in eight games, but that season was cut short due to a tear in his ACL that required surgery.

Since his comeback from injury, Kupp is putting up serious numbers. With more than 4,400 yards and 30 touchdowns in the past three years — including regular and postseason games — Kupp is forging a landmark career with no hopes of stopping any time soon. 

Kupp grew up in Yakima, Washington, in a family of football players. He is the son of Craig Kupp, a former NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in the early 90s. Cooper’s grandfather, Jake, had an 11-year career in the ‘60s and ‘70s playing for Washington, Atlanta and the New Orleans Saints — he’s in their hall of fame. Kupp’s brother also played college football and even made the practice squad on the Rams at the same time Cooper was drafted. Besides football, what keeps the Kupps so close is their devout Christian faith.

Kupp dedicates every performance, every game, win or loss, to God. The Kupp family emphasizes this, a practice paramount for Kupp’s dad in fathering his children.

In an interview with his hometown paper The Yakima Herald, Craig Kupp said, “It’s part of who we are. Our relationship with Jesus is the center of our life.” 

Aside from his relationship with God, Cooper Kupp is happily married to his wife, Anna, who is mother of their two children. The couple met in high school and have supported each other throughout their careers.

“I knew that she was the one that I wanted to marry when we had first met back in high school,” Kupp said. “I told my mom the day I met her, 'I'm going to marry this girl.’”

The couple married in 2015 during his sophomore year of college. While playing football in college in hopes of going pro, Kupp’s wife Anna worked tirelessly to pay their bills until Kupp finally achieved his dream of playing professional football.

Austin Wagner, Kupp’s best friend, said, “I don't think there's a Cooper without what Anna's done for him. She's a person that really expects a lot out of the people around her and has kind of a high threshold for excellence.”

They identify their faith in God as essential to their relationship — one of the main reasons they clicked so early on as a couple. 

“Without a doubt, there's no doubt in my mind, not only would I not be here where I am today without her or accomplishing the things that I would be doing,” Kupp said. "I really believe I may not be in this — I may not be in the NFL if it wasn't for her and what she has inspired in me and pushed me to do." 

Consistency is a word that comes to mind when you think of Cooper Kupp — consistently having 100-yard games, consistently scoring touchdowns and consistently praising someone else in a postgame interview. In nearly every one, Kupp has little to no praise for himself, but he praises everyone else, including his teammates and Jesus Christ. Earlier this season, Kupp posted a nine-reception, 163-yard game against the Colts. This kind of standout performance became the norm for Kupp this year as he posted one of the best seasons ever by a wide receiver. 

In the interview after his win against the Colts, Kupp had nothing but humility to show for his performance. He said, “Today, the verse that was on my mind was, ‘The heart of man chooses his path, but the Lord establishes his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9). It just gave me so much freedom to go out there and play freely and give everything I had (and) know the results rested in Him.” 

This is traditional for Kupp, as he likes to set a standard with a verse for each performance, dedicating each game to God. Most recently, he started his own apparel line that features 1 Corinthians 9:25. The verse says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” And so “get a crown that lasts forever” is a phrase that has stuck with Kupp, one that he embroidered on most of his apparel. After his playoff performance last week, Kupp was seen wearing his hat with this phrase. The hat is currently sold out on his website.

In an industry where the camera is always on and judging a player’s actions, Kupp ensures he is simply doing his job for the Lord. For many fans, seeing a professional athlete talk about faith the way he does is praiseworthy — regardless of the religion. 

With a 44-yard reception to seal the game in late January, Kupp sent the Rams to their first NFC Championship since 2018. The play was visibly his work. His route-running and speed allowed him to get open. Kupp spoke differently on the matter. He praised his quarterback, Matthew Stafford, saying, “The route that I ran, we call it a ‘love of the game’ route because you’re really just trying to draw coverage. But Matt was able to read my body language and put the ball in the right spot for us.” 

The Rams return to the Super Bowl, hoping to do better than their 2018 run, which came just short, with a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and crew are hoping to make a strong attack against a strong, young Cincinnati Bengals team, led by Joe Burrow, that just knocked off Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Luke Kerley is a student at The King’s College in NYC, where he serves as sports editor of the student news outlet, The Empire State Tribune.