27 Aug 2024 501 Football Team 2024: Cooper Wilson – Guy-Perkins

Last season as a freshman, running back/linebacker Cooper Wilson racked up a ton of experience for Guy-Perkins, as the Thunderbirds played their first season of 8-man football as an independent team. This year, the Guy-Perkins football program has been added into the Arkansas Activities Association’s sanctioned 8-man football league and will compete in the North Conference.

“Cooper played every down last year on both sides of the ball with 100 percent effort, using hustle and determination to play his best each play,” Guy-Perkins Coach Tony Varnell said. “Cooper is a natural-born leader and takes the role of leadership seriously. 

He demonstrates excellent character on and off the field. I expect Cooper to continue to lead by example with the grit and determination he did last year. I fully expect for Cooper to lead the charge in the Thunderbirds getting their first win.

“Before the season, I planned on having the players vote on a captain. One of the players said, ‘Coach, we don’t need to vote on a captain. We all already know who the captain is—Cooper.’ Everyone agreed. Enough said.”

Wilson has enjoyed being a part of Guy-Perkins’ history and wants to contribute to more firsts for Thunderbird football. “My favorite football memory was riding the bus to our very first game, knowing we were hitting the field for the first time in the history of Guy-Perkins,” he said. “You may not be the biggest or the strongest, but you can always be the hardest worker, and hard work pays off.”