Veteran safeties Malik Verdon and Jeremiah Cooper search for stability on the field as part of their offseason growth heading into another year in the Cyclones’ system.
Both Verdon and Cooper missed a handful of games during their sophomore campaigns, an issue that has plagued their respective times at Iowa State. Verdon has missed 12 games in the last two seasons due to injury, including the final three games in 2023, while Cooper has missed five.
The veteran safety tandem has made big plays on the field when available, which has helped Iowa State become a defensive powerhouse in the Big 12. Verdon finished last season with four pass breakups and a pair of interceptions in 10 games and Cooper finished with five interceptions along with 15 pass breakups.
Verdon is heading into the spring season with one goal on his mind: to stay healthy.
“Just getting back into the training room and getting myself back healthy,” Verdon said. “That is a big thing for myself, just trying to stay healthy.”
Heading into another offseason recovering from an injury, Verdon has not only been challenged to stay healthy but also to be a more vocal leader on the field.
Verdon has seen a lot of football over the last three years, whether it has been on or off the field, which his coaches hope the Ohio native uses to his advantage.
“I want him to be coach on the field,” safeties coach Deon Broomfield said. “Just taking more charge of hey this is what we are getting to this is what I am seeing.”
Broomfield commended Verdon for overcoming the setbacks he has faced on the field during his time at Iowa State, constantly working his way back.
Along with his consistency in the training room, Verdon has placed an emphasis on the weight room to ensure that when he does get back on the field he will be playing some of his best ball.
“If you think about his three years, he has overcome a lot of adversity,” Broomfield said. “We’re extremely proud of where he is at, but I think his mental aspect and his mental fortitude, we want to continue to improve on that.”
Verdon’s experience on the field adds to the already valued safety room of Cooper and senior Beau Freyler.
The veteran trio is constantly finding new ways to improve their games while guiding those around them to take Iowa State to the next level.
“It is cool cause we all think differently,” Cooper said. “I think just having the leadership around me makes me a better player.”
For Cooper, who made a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore season, he is not done working.
The Texas ball-hawk now has valuable reps in Iowa State’s system, which led him to a First Team All-Big 12 selection. Now, Cooper is focused on learning the basics on the defensive side and continuing to grow heading into his junior year.
“I’ve really grown at everything, last season was a good season for me but I still learned a lot,” Cooper said. “Just taking those experiences and applying those to my spring season, my offseason, it is just going to make me a better player in the fall.”
It is going to be hard to ask for a better start from Cooper, who snagged a pair of interceptions in the season opener against Northern Iowa, one of which he took into the endzone, but that is what Broomfield intends to do.
Cooper proved himself as one of the best defensive backs in the country last season, and his coaching staff is focused on finding new ways for him to continue growing.
“He had success early on so now it is figuring out different ways to challenge him,” Broomfield said. “We want to put more on his plate and ask for more.”
