In fact, he says, he was usually surprised when the Grizzlies threw the ball at all during the two seasons he played wide receiver for UM, especially his first year in 1976.
After being recruited out of Yakima Valley Community College, Cooley played for Jack Swarthout in his final year as the Grizzlies' coach in '76, and then in 1977 for Gene Carlson in his first season as coach. Cooley's older brother Jerry played football at Montana before him.
"I was told they were going to run a pro-set offense here," he says. "It didn't really turn out that way."
Swarthout was still clinging to the triple-option running game in '76, and quarterback Van Troxel didn't put the ball in the air very often, according to Cooley.
"I used to root for us to be behind in the fourth quarter, so we'd have to pass," he says. "I caught about two-thirds of all my passes in the fourth quarter. We didn't throw unless we had to. When we passed, I was as surprised as the other team was. We threw a little more under Carlson."
Cooley says he was in "seventh heaven" when he had the opportunity to play his senior season with quarterback Mike Roban, a prep star from Great Falls who transferred to UM from Navy.
"He could throw a bullet and put touch on the ball," recalls Cooley. "He was one of those quarterbacks who throw off their front foot and throw downhill. But he got his knee blown out, and after that he threw off his back foot, and it started to sail on him.
"He was the best quarterback I ever played with," he adds. "It was like dancing. Anything I did, he'd throw where I wanted it, and where it needed to be thrown."
After Roban was injured, however, Mike Magner played a lot at QB for the Grizzlies in 1977, Cooley says.
That year, he says, "I think I caught 33 passes for about 730 yards and I think like five touchdowns."
It was actually 607 yards (and six TDs), but those stats broke single-season Grizzly receiving records set way back in the '50s by Ray Bauer. With 14 catches in 1975 (for 334 yards and four touchdowns) Cooley also toppled Bauer's career marks.
By modern passing standards, says Cooley of his record-setting performance, "it was ridiculous. Now that they've put laces on the ball and made it oblong, it's not such a terrific feat. But it was something back then."
He's also proud of being named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team and the Grizzlies' offensive MVP his senior season.
The biggest games of his career, says Cooley, included a three-touchdown effort in a win at Weber, and a seven-catch fourth quarter in a win at Idaho, in which he established several records with his parents in attendance.
A native of Anacortes, Wash., Cooley remained in Missoula after graduating from UM, got married and attended the university law school. He's practiced law here since 1980.
These days, Cooley watches the Grizzlies play their home games at Washington-Grizzly Stadium from his season-ticket seats above the notoriously rowdy north end zone.
"I was responsible for (the Grizzlies' 10-9 victory over Cal Poly) last week," he says jokingly. "At least that's the way we feel about it."
Cooley is proud of the accomplishments of his three children.
His son, Kyler, 24, is a professional skier in Park City, Utah. He recently starred in a couple of ski films performing aerial tricks in the sport called "slope-style" skiing.
Cooley's daughter, Kelsey, 22, is a senior at Seattle Pacific University, where she is a two-time track and field All-American in the heptathlon.
Another daughter, Jaggie Jeakins-Cooley, 14, is a freshman at Hellgate High School, who competes on the school soccer team and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. She's also a top-notch skier, who was named athlete of the year in the Northern Freestyle Division.
Besides his law practice, Cooley has recently become actively involved in building houses.
"I had always wanted to learn to build a house," he says. So a couple of years ago, after selling his home in the Rattlesnake, he decided it was time to try it.
"I took a couple of weeks off, and a client and I embarked on building me a house," he says. "I learned to build a house and was involved in all parts of it. ... It's really been an achievement I'm proud of."
Since then, he's built two more homes, and remodeled his office, and is in the process of planning some more homes on the Ronan golf course, where he owns lots.
Last fall, Cooley had an opportunity to teach a class at UM - "Law for Health-Related Professions." Forty-five students were enrolled in the three-hour class.
In addition to those activities, Cooley is president of the local Goodfellows organization that puts on free Thanksgiving dinners for needy people at the 4B's each year.
"It's been a real adventure learning the ropes of putting on a dinner for 400 to 500 people in one day," he says. "We do many other things, such as deliver Christmas baskets to people in need, and during the year buy groceries, gas and motels for people who need temporary help.
"It's a great organization and we could use a plug. We are looking for a restaurant to host the dinner next year, if you could throw that in, and donations are always appreciated."
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