Bruce Cooper at a news conference in Tampa
Standing taller than his six-foot-plus frame amidst all of this negativity is Bruce Cooper, Marquis’ father. Bruce is an easy-going, no-drama, get-it-done man who befriends everyone he touches and has successfully walked a challenging journalistic line. He is respected by the people he covers, even though Bruce’s reporting will not spare them from harsh judgment if their play or behavior merits.
How does he do it? Bruce “played the game” as they say, in basketball at Arizona State. His creaking knees and limping gait are evidence of the hard work he put into the game and that he puts into his profession now – that has to count for a lot with athletes and coaches. Bruce smiles and laughs often. It would be very difficult to find anything negative to say about the man, and that is a bulwark for the trust that his story subjects put in him. Bruce is the hardest working man you’ll meet. He’s always on the clock and the time he devotes translates into top sports journalism.
In the nightmarish days since Marquis was reported missing, Bruce has been a rock for his family, gracious with the many fans and friends expressing their sorrow, patient with the media digging for controversy, and tireless in working to keep the search for Marquis alive. Answering challenging questions at news conferences, respectfully but forcefully disagreeing with the survivor’s accounts of what happened on the Gulf, Bruce continued to speak of Marquis in the present, long after others had given up, simply not ready to talk about his life as past. He is a model for behavior under extraordinarily difficult circumstances that I know I couldn’t duplicate and doubt that many of us could. “Coop” as we call him, is showing why we always smile when he joins the conversation.
Marquis Cooper
That anyone should have to deal with this level of tragedy is not fair. That Bruce Cooper and his family have had this thrust at them is beyond rational explanation. It is very difficult to witness all of this happening to such an outstanding and positive group of people and not shake your head in disgust and anger. Doing so would be easy.
I haven’t because Bruce is now my hero – my role model. If there’s every a “What Would Bruce Do” bracelet, get me one fast. The man is a wonder, and we are beyond lucky to know him. He has found strength in his faith. We have found inspiration in him.
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