Cooper Kupp recently featured his wife Anna on the second episode of “Daily Grind,” where the power couple shared insights into their lives. The Los Angeles Rams receiver also candidly discussed the start of his NFL career and recalled a dark period when he viewed playing in the league as a life-or-death situation.
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In his early days in the NFL, Cooper felt a lot of pressure and self-criticism, as he was viewing his performance through just two lenses: either a huge success or a total failure. This black-and-white outlook increased his self-assessment, which eventually turned into a toxic trait.
“Coming to the NFL, I think I made way too big of a deal out of being in the NFL. That might sound like… I know people probably hate that I say that, but I saw it as a life-or-death thing.”
In the past, Cooper’s weakness was getting demotivated by hearing criticisms which led to extreme highs and lows in his career. However, as time passed, the star wideout learned how to cope with these pressures and realized that while football is a part of his life, it doesn’t solely define who he is.
Eventually, he found a more balanced approach and began falling in love with the game all over again. That said, Cooper also spoke about how he always leans on his wife and kids to escape the highly pressurizing environment of the league.
Cooper Shares How His Wife and Kids Have Helped Him Maintain Work-Life Balance
As the conversation deepened, Cooper spoke about how his family, especially Anna, helped him deal with setbacks and achieve work-life balance. No matter how frustrating work gets, he knows he can go home, vent, and be heard.
Anna doesn’t just listen to his work woes, she sees them as things that affect their whole family. This lets them become each other’s support system and treat their career and their personal life as separate aspects.
“The things that have gone on in my life—the good days, the bad days—you are the person that I get to talk to about them. A lot of the things that happen in my day that are considered a bad day or a good day, I share them with you because it’s our life, our family. I need you in that way of just having that support.”
As Cooper enters his eighth NFL season, he continues to be a crucial part of the team’s offense. Last year, the 2021 Super Bowl winner showed signs of a comeback from an injury-ridden season; hence, LA Rams fans are eager to see the receiver pull off another stellar streak and lead the team to another championship glory.
