Chris Cooley life and biography

Chris Cooley has established himself as one the NFL’s elite tight ends in six seasons with the Redskins. An outstanding receiving threat, Cooley’s 343 career receptions is the second-most by a tight end in Redskins franchise history. He also has 30 career touchdown catches, including a career-high eight in 2007. Regarded as one of the team’s more colorful characters, Cooley writes a popular blog on the Internet. Teammates have nicknamed him Captain Chaos.

Highlights

PRO:
* Owns 343 career receptions for 3,789 yards and 30 touchdowns.
* Appeared in 87 career games with 80 starts.
* Had not missed a game in his six NFL seasons, until he was declared inactive at Atlanta (11/8/09) with an ankle fracture, snapping his streak of consecutive starts (71), which was the most among any current Redskins player.
* Became the first tight end in franchise history to earn consecutive Pro Bowl selections (2007 and 2008).
* Owns four of the top five receiving seasons by a tight end in club history (83 receptions in 2008, 71 in 2005, 66 in 2007 and 57 in 2006).
* Enters the season ranked second in Redskins history in receptions by a tight end (343), second in receiving yards by a tight end (3,789) and second in touchdowns by a tight end (30).
* Ranks seventh in club history with 343 receptions.
* Had at least one reception in 76 consecutive regular season games, dating back to Week 9 of 2004, before the reception streak was snapped at Carolina (10/11).
* Ranks sixth in the NFL in receptions (343) by a tight end since 2004 (the year he entered the NFL), tied for sixth in the NFL in receiving touchdowns by a tight end (30) and ranks 10th in the NFL in receiving yards by a tight end (3,789).

2009 Season (WAS)
* Played and started in seven games before sustaining an ankle fracture vs. Philadelphia (10/26).
* Was declared inactive with an ankle fracture at Atlanta (11/8), vs. Denver (11/15), at Dallas (11/22) and at Philadelphia (11/29).
* Placed on Injured Reserve (11/30).
* Owned the-then longest starting streak among NFL tight ends (71 consecutive games) before breaking his ankle and being declared inactive at Atlanta (11/8/09).
* Had recorded a reception in 76 straight games before the reception streak was snapped at Carolina (10/11).
* Recorded 29 receptions for 332 yards and two touchdowns in seven regular season games.
* Opened the season at NY Giants (9/13) with seven catches for 68 yards and one touchdown.
* Led all Redskins receivers in Week 2 vs. St. Louis (9/20) with seven catches for 83 yards.
* Hauled in five catches for 65 yards and one touchdown vs. Tampa Bay (10/4).

2008 Season (WAS):
* Started all 16 regular season games
* Led the Redskins offense with 83 catches for 849 yards, also posted one touchdown catch
* Named to his second Pro Bowl
* Caught a clutch 23-yard pass, one of five on the day, to help set up a key Redskins touchdown vs. New Orleans (9/14)
* Grabbed an 18-yard TD pass from Antwaan Randle El on a wide receiver option for the Redskins’ go-ahead score at Philadelphia (10/5)

2007 Season (WAS):
* Led the team with eight touchdown receptions; marked the first time a tight end led the team in touchdown receptions (since Jerry Smith had 9 touchdown catches in 1970)
* Named to his first Pro Bowl and caught three passes for 45 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception from QB Matt Hasselbeck--a 42-30 victory for the NFC in the 2008 Pro Bowl
* Wore jersey No. 21 in honor of the late Sean Taylor at the Pro Bowl
* Started all 16 regular season games (third straight season) and one postseason contest at Seattle (1/5)
* Led the team in receptions (66) and touchdown receptions (8); which were also career best
* Finished second on the team in receiving yards (786)
* Recorded career-highs in receptions (9) and receiving yards (105) at Green Bay in Week 6 (10/14)

2006 Season (WAS):
* Started in all 16 regular-season games
* Led the Redskins in receptions (57) and receiving yards (734) and tied for a team-high in touchdown catches (6)
* Recorded a career-long 66-yard reception vs. Carolina (11/26)

2005 Season (WAS):
* Started in all 16 regular-season games and two postseason contests
* Broke the club record for receptions by a tight end with 71 (previous mark of 67 set by Jerry Smith in 1967)
* More than doubled his totals from his rookie season in receptions (71) and receiving yards (774 yards)
* Totaled a then career-high seven touchdown receptions
* Had a career-high three touchdown receptions vs. Dallas (12/18)
* Recorded a postseason career-best 52-yard reception at Seattle (1/14)

2004 Season (WAS):
* Played in 16 regular-season games with nine starts
* Totaled 37 receptions for 314 yards (9.8.avg.) and six touchdowns
* Had a season-high seven receptions at Pittsburgh (11/29)
* Tallied his first career touchdown catch on a two-yard out from Mark Brunell at the New York Giants (9/19)

College

# Earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors at Utah State
# Qualified as a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end; was team captain and also voted Offensive MVP
# Led the nation’s tight ends in receptions and yards when he snagged a career-high 62 passes for 732 yards and six touchdowns; became the first non-receiver to lead the team in catches since 1983
# Named an All-State selection at Logan High School in Logan, Utah where he caught 46 passes for 625 yards as a tight end and posted eight sacks as a defensive end as a senior
# An outstanding wrestler, he was undefeated his senior year and earned the state title and All-American honors
# Graduated in August 2003 from Utah State with a degree in art

Personal

* The son of Nancy and Ken Cooley
* Married Christy Oglevee, a former Redskins Cheerleader, during the 2008 offseason
* Maintains a popular blog that discusses his life on and off the football field
* Established an education initiative in Feb. 2009 in which he set up a series of $25,000 college scholarships for eight Washington, D.C.-area high schools

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