FSU’s Robert Cooper talks impressive weight loss, battles unimpressive fan

With Tallahassee under a heat advisory and temperatures approaching triple-digits today, questions regarding the weight of Florida State defensive lineman Robert Cooper were far from surprising. But the sweltering Florida August could be worse, a point to which Cooper can attest.

Because last year, as a true freshman, he was listed at 382 pounds prior to the season. In the interview below, Cooper speaks about how he knew he’d have to drop weight to play for DL coach Odell Haggins, so he says he lost 40-45 pounds, and the change is obvious. He’s currently listed at 346.

But Cooper isn’t done: he says he still wants to shed another 20 pounds. He also discusses his Seminole teammates on the defensive front, as well as the potential of frosh offensive lineman Dontae Lucas.

But the real star of this video is the diminutive personal fan that Cooper employs to stay cool— or at least, that’s his goal, but the fan doesn’t really cooperate. It seems to tease him with just an occasional hint of a breeze before shutting down again and again. I had to watch this video twice, because I was so transfixed by the crappy little fan that I didn’t hear a word he said (watch the way he gives it one last try at the very end— now that’s hope).

At least the fans weren’t much of an investment. Our Courteney Korosec brought a bunch of them for the rest of her fellow beat reporters, and they only ran her like $1.50 each. And don’t worry, NCAA, Cooper gave his back after the interview (I wonder why).