Oswego’s Carson Cooney, son of the coach, has heart at linebacker

Carson Cooney still has moments that he misses having the ball in his hands as a running back, but it’s clear that the Oswego senior is at home at linebacker.

It’s where the heart is.

Cooney is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound Iowa recruit and third-year varsity player ranked by the 247Sports.com composite as the No. 40 linebacker nationally. Carson’s dad, Brian Cooney, is heading into his 13th year as Oswego head coach.

Dad has a little history at linebacker too, having played the position at Aurora University.

“It’s in my family, big-time,” Carson Cooney said. “I feel like I was getting that linebacker training before I even played linebacker. Just going in the film room, watching film with my dad. Sometimes I would have to leave the room, but I was in there, learning how to be a linebacker.”

He learned well, and is a big reason why Oswego, with 18 starters back from a 6-4 playoff team, has high hopes for the 2024 season.

Cooney, a four-star recruit and the 10th-rated senior in Illinois’ senior class, has a big future ahead of him at Iowa, his dream school where he committed to in February. He plans to graduate early to get a head start. In the meantime, his dad has encouraged Carson to soak in the high school experience.

“It’s going to be a big year,” Carson said. “It’s hit me that this is my last year of high school football. I’m trying to make everything of it.”

Coach Cooney likely gets a little wistful thinking of it.

Carson, oldest of three boys, was in kindergarten when Brian was named Oswego’s head coach. Carson’s favorite memories growing up are of running around at Oswego practices, and of being a ball boy on Friday nights.

“And at halftime they would go to the locker room. If they were losing dad wouldn’t let me in,” Carson said. “It’s crazy, as a little kid you think these guys were huge. I miss those days, but I’m not going to lie, I like playing even more.”

Brian reflected on the journey as he watched his youngest play 10U football.

“It’s been a fun run,” Brian said. “Watching him [Carson] grow up into a young man and into a football player, you blink and it’s on you.”

Carson started on flag football as a kid. It was his mom, Julie, who deemed him ready to make the move to the tackle version.

A second switch came in eighth grade, when Carson transitioned from running back to linebacker. That was OK with Brian, who recalls pausing games on the family TV to point out the nuances of playing the position.

“He was always a bigger kid who could run, and he had good vision for a running back, had some pretty good-looking touchdowns in his peewee days. But linebacker is a fun position, too,” Brian said. “That’s the spot to be, if you’re on the defensive side of the football.”

Carson was always on the taller side, but he really shot up his freshman year going into sophomore. Once around 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, he now is 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. His interest in the game also grew.

“It seemed like when he came to high school his interest level was through the roof,” Brian said. “Watching him play the position, even when he played sophomore as a freshman he could get himself out of difficult situations with technique and good vision.”

Carson was one of five sophomores brought up to varsity in 2022. It was an unusually trying year for Oswego, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. But the experience was valuable for Carson.

“A lot to ask for me, just a sophomore playing juniors and seniors, my first game I went in there and thought this is a lot faster than I’m used to,” Carson said, “but honestly I caught on really quickly. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s definitely helped me.”

Brian said that Carson usually sets the line on whether conversation of a game carries over to the kitchen table. If he plays well, he’s quick to get the laptop out. If not, he’ll eventually watch – “he’s always wanting to watch film.”

“Whether we talk depends on the game,” Carson said. “If we lose a game, I’m trying to stay away from him. We’ll talk the next game. If we win I’m watching film after the game.”

Carson’s sophomore success carried over into last fall. Leading an Oswego defense that allowed only 70 points during the regular season, Cooney had 71 tackles, eight tackles for loss.

He’s indeed made significant improvements to his game, adding more elements to his tool box.

“He’s realized that you don’t need to play the same every play,” Brian said. “There is a time to be fast and slippery, and there is a time to put your foot on the ground and hold your ground. He has learned the finer points of that.”

Carson said he’s worked this offseason on his one-on-one coverage with tight ends, using his long arms in trying to bring the ball carrier done and being more physical in his bigger frame.

“I’ve worked on defeating blocks with my hands and not just relying on running linemen over. At some point, that’s not going to work,” he said.

He’s watched Oswego games since he was a kid, and now Carson is intent on making his last one in the uniform a memorable one.

“I want to go to state,” he said. “I feel like everyone says this, but I feel like we have what it takes this year.”