D3 Week Profile: Elliot Cooley, Football

ORANGE, Calif.- In honor of Division III Week April 8-14, Chapman University is celebrating a handful of its outstanding student-athletes that represent the spirit of Division III athletics at its core. These dedicated students have excelled as Panthers both on the field of competition as well as amongst the elite in the classroom and in the community at large.

ELLIOT COOLEY – Football

Elliot Cooley loves the game of football, but never dreamed of playing in the National Football League. Instead, the senior defensive end imagined leading a team of engineers at one of the largest tech companies in the world, Microsoft. Cooley's success on the field was surpassed by his hard work off the field as he landed a position on his dream team with a Microsoft internship.

The Yuma, Ariz. native, who owns an impressive 3.959 GPA, worked for the software company as an engineer last summer and has been invited back to Seattle to continue his work after the spring semester ends.

The scholar athlete, who is also the president of Chapman's NCAA Division III Student Athlete Advisory Committee chapter, realizes the benefits football has on his studies.

"Balancing football and academics was a little tough at times," Cooley stated. "I do better when I am busy, though, so football helped me stay focused on school."

Cooley's hard work has paid off, but he owes much of his success to his support system.

"The coaches have always been very supportive and want students to do well in school," he stated. "They have made a huge difference."

As Cooley prepares to graduate and enter the workforce, he realizes the benefits he gained from being a Division III athlete.

"Playing football while being a full-time student is a lot of work, you have to be on top of your game," he stated. "Being a D3 athlete has taught me how to stay balanced while giving a full-out effort in everything I do."

by Ryan Cavinder
Sports Information Assistant

#d3week #whyd3

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