Kupp calls it ‘embarrassing’ to watch film from his rookie season…

Cooper Kupp calls it 'embarrassing' to watch film from his rookie year

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Skyler Carlin

Cooper Kupp is having a historic campaign in 2021 that has him on the path of potentially breaking Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record. The standout wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams has 1,734 yards with two weeks remaining (putting him 233 yards behind Johnson’s record) and he’s only 18 receptions away from surpassing Michael Thomas for the most receptions in a season in NFL history.

Kupp has been special this year, with media pundits and fans now labeling him as one of the best wideouts that the game has to offer. While Kupp will certainly receive his first All-Pro nod this offseason, the former third-round pick told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that he is embarrassed to watch his film from when he was a rookie, pinpointing that as a reason why he’s worked relentlessly to improve his game.

“I’m not sure I can put my finger on one specific thing,” he told Breer after Sunday’s win. “I look back at my rookie year, and it’s embarrassing watching the tape of what my rookie year was. And I’d like to think that at the end of every year, as I watched the full season and tried to reflect on what the year was, what kind of things I saw from myself, I’d just try to just improve the things that [were] most important to improve. And I just take that mentality year after year, try to get better and better and better. Never get comfortable being at whatever I’m at. Never believing that I’ve arrived. So I have taken that mentality, but I don’t know if I can put my finger on one specific thing that’s changed as much. I’ve been hanging out with some really good football players and having a few more opportunities to have the ball in my hands, and I think it really just comes down to those things.”

When Kupp was a rookie in 2017 — Sean McVay’s first year at the helm — he was decently productive with 62 receptions, 869 yards, and five touchdowns. But before this season, Kupp wasn’t looked at as the so-called ‘Alpha’ on the Rams with Robert Woods on the other side of the field.

That has changed this season as defenses are now well aware of where No. 10 is on the field at all times. Despite the attention he receives, Kupp continues to make play after play, becoming Matthew Stafford’s go-to weapon in an offense that now features Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson.

Even before Woods went down with an unfortunate season-ending injury, Kupp was putting up gaudy numbers for the Rams. And as Kupp’s historic season nears a conclusion, it’s impressive to see how much he’s improved in each facet of his game since 2017.