24 Aug 2025 501 Football Team 2025: Cooper Jones – Searcy

Searcy Lions senior Cooper Jones is a true jack-of-all-trades on the football field, and he’s ready to make a significant impact this season. Having played football since third grade, he has been encouraged by his dad to play as many sports as possible for 13 years, including basketball and soccer.

“Cooper is a very talented and diverse player for us,” Head Coach Zak Clark said. “He could play any position on the field. Last year, he wore many hats, playing every offensive skill position and every specialty position at some point.”

This year, he expects Jones to be Searcy’s running back, punt returner, kicker and punter.

The senior’s favorite football memory is a testament to his team-first mentality. “We won the championship in sixth grade for a four-year repeat,” Jones said. “We were expected to lose by 30-plus points, and we won by two.” His dedication to football carried into high school, earning him All-State honors his junior year.

For his senior season, he has set big personal goals. “I want to finish every game knowing I gave it my all, leave an impact on the younger players on the team, and have my best season yet,” he said.

Jones keeps a busy schedule, facing the challenge of “keeping up with three sports while maintaining the best grades possible,” and off the field, he’s active in National Honor Society and Beta Club. He volunteers in his church and community and enjoys fishing when he has free time.