1) I'm certainly glad I wasn't judged by the worst things I did as teenager. I think most males between the ages of 15-25 do some really stupid stuff and most of us are very lucky that our worst actions at that age don't define us for the rest of our lives.
2) While I certainly believe in second chances, can someone tell me what happened here? Did they just go easy on him and give him a second chance or were the multiple arrests and talk of fingerprints and burglary tools that was initially reported in the media just flat out wrong?
The interview is hard to hear but he seems to deny he did anything wrong. Around the 1:20 mark the guy asks him some questions about the legal stuff and Cooper responds.
"My coach he built me up - as he kept working with me and he said, 'You didn't do anything' and I knew I didn't do anything but it just messed with me as it messed up my image. I had a great image. Everybody knew I wouldn't do nothing like that. So when I went to court and all of the charges go dropped, I was very happy because basically ***slide??? Inaudible.*** it was a mess.
Everybody makes mistakes. I'm not saying I made a mistake but everybody goes through something like this - well I'm not going to say everybody."
Later in the interview, he says he may not run track next year. Sounds like he may graduate in December and then go play football at FSU.