“Frosty’s father, Edgerrin Cooper, becomes a star for the Packers”

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia called Edgerrin Cooper a “ball magnet” on Friday.

Well, that’s not what he calls Cooper.

“I call him Frosty,” Bisaccia said. “That’s kind of his nickname. You can ask him if he wants to tell you why.”

As Cooper walked to his locker after Saturday’s practice, the last before Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, reporters were eager for an explanation.

“It’s my horse’s name,” Cooper said. “He’s been calling me Frosty since I got here.”

Cooper grew up in Covington, Louisiana, where some of his childhood friends had horses. Cooper, a second-round pick by the Packers in this year’s draft, bought a few horses when he arrived in Green Bay.

“God blessed me in this position so I could get my own,” he said.

For now, Frosty and Cinco are just pets.

“They all look good in the front yard,” Cooper said.

There’s no time to ride now. Not as the Packers look to take Cooper deep into the playoffs.

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Cooper returned with a bang last week against Seattle. Officially, he had five tackles on defense, two tackles on special teams – three, Bisaccia quickly corrected – a sack, an interception and two passes defended, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The prize has been awarded since 1984. Cooper became only the fifth player to win it twice as a rookie.

“A lot of things about him were impressive,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “First of all, he hadn’t practiced much and he just makes a lot of splash plays. You see how fast he is. He’s a great tackler, he’s a great blitzer. He should have had two interceptions in the game.

“His ability to close – there was a screen that was thrown, he was about 8 yards away from it and when the guy caught the ball he was right there. He can eat up the grass very quickly. Sometimes he may not be in the right position, but he has the ability to compensate. So the more he learns and the better he gets, the better and better he gets.”

That’s Cooper’s goal. Even though he only plays about 36 percent of the defensive snaps, he is the only rookie in the NFL with at least 30 tackles, one interception and one sack.

Cooper’s numbers are much better with 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and one interception.

“I just like to go out and make big plays,” he said. “It’s just in me. I just try to get better and better every day.”

Cooper’s big plays against the Seahawks were truly great. He had a third-down sack on the opening series, which helped give the Packers a quick 14-0 lead. His third-quarter hit on Geno Smith ended the veteran quarterback’s night. His interception in the fourth quarter set up the offense for the game-winning score.

“This is a huge accomplishment,” Cooper said. “It’s that simple (and) I keep saying it, but I’m just here to play football, have fun and do what’s best for my team.”

Cooper was the first linebacker not to take the field in this year’s draft. The Packers held the 41st pick of the second round; They traded back four spots in a deal with the Saints and took Cooper with the 45th pick.

He seems to be an incredible difference maker and building block player.

Defensively, despite barely playing at the start of the season and then missing three games, he is sixth on the team in tackles, fourth in sacks, second in tackles for loss and second in passes defended.

“The guy just has the ability to eat grass and run,” Hafley said. “The more he trains and stays healthy, the more you want him on the field.”

The same applies to bisaccia. According to his stats, Cooper is No. 1 on the team in tackles on special teams.

“He’s a ball magnet,” Bisaccia said. “That’s the best thing I can say about him. Athletically, he does things that really can’t be taught.”

He displayed that athleticism at Covington (La.) High School, where he played linebacker and running back and was a three-year letterwinner in basketball. He also displayed that athleticism at Texas A&M, where he led the SEC in tackles for loss as an off-the-ball linebacker.

Covington is about 40 miles north of New Orleans. Of course, Cooper grew up a Saints fan.

Not true, he said.

So who did he cheer for as a kid?

“We played them last week,” he said with a laugh. Cooper was a fan of the “Legion of Boom”-era Seahawks and cited cornerback Richard Sherman and running back Marshawn Lynch as two of his favorite players.

However, Cooper said he wasn’t interested in proving anything.

“I’m just here doing my job for the people who wanted me,” he said.

Cooper said he picked up about 10 tickets for friends and family who traveled to Green Bay for Monday night’s game.

“They’re not ready for the cold,” he said.

The Packers play the Saints on Monday – two days before Christmas.

What would a Merry Christmas be?

“I’m always happy,” Cooper said with a big smile. “I’m a Green Bay Packer. This is it.”

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