LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay described Monday's 9 a.m. Super Bowl LVI MVP press conference as "torturous" as he grinned ear to ear.
Thankfully, he got to be with one of his favorite people.
"It’s the cliché thing you say, but I’m better as a coach and as a person for being around Cooper Kupp and that’s just the truth," McVay said.
Eastern Washington alum Cooper Kupp is now a household name.
That’s also just the truth.
If you know him at all, you know that was never the goal; just a side effect of what motivated him to get here.
"My faith is just the most important thing in my life," Kupp said. "Believing that I have a purpose here, that I was placed with an intentionality of exactly where I’m supposed to be just gives me so much peace. I'm able to play from a place of knowing that the victory already has been won. There’s no pressure to strive to succeed on anything. I get to step in every single day and enjoy the process."
That wasn’t just internalized for Coop this season.
Even his head coach noticed a shift.
"He’s always been this way, but this year especially there was a stillness, there was a peace, there was a joy he was playing with where he’s got a purpose with Anna and his two boys and his relationship and trust in the Lord and how that really can guide a steady path," McVay said. "He’s made such an impact on me. Guys like Cooper Kupp are why you coach. I just feel so blessed to be around somebody as special as him."
The wide receiver’s approach came in especially handy on Sunday, as Cooper only caught one pass in the entire second half until the Rams’ final drive.
On that drive, Cooper caught five passes, drew two Bengals pass interference penalties, and secured the game-winning touchdown.
"Keep pushing, keep trusting in the details of things," Cooper said of getting through that stretch. "Believe that regardless of whether the ball is coming to you or not, you can have a impact on the game. Especially at receiver, playing the game within the game and understanding that just because this coverage says I’m not going to get the ball, being able to run routes and try to get a feel of how a DB is playing you. When it comes time, eventually that coverage is going to dictate that you get the ball."
His relationship with his quarterback also didn’t hurt at that moment.
"Stafford and I have spent a ton of time together. I think I was actually adding it up in the car on the way here," Kupp said. "Just the extra time outside of the obligatory time was north of 500 hours this season. You spend that much time together just being able to talk football, talk about the preparation, the time you have focusing on that stuff, you get in those moments, and it just becomes second nature."
Kupp also said at his press conference Monday morning that he certainly believes his team can win it all again next year.
For now, he’s focused on a very important next step.
"I think we’re going to keep it LA and head over to Disneyland," Cooper said with a chuckle when asked if he's going to Disneyworld next. "I think a cross country trip is not happening today."