Journey to the NFL

Taking a Scenic Route with Nolan Cooney ’16

By Jessica Priola

Many Bridgton students come to the Academy with athletic aspirations. While these aspirations certainly vary, frequently plans look a little something like this: 1. Attend Bridgton Academy, 2. Earn D1 “scolly,” 3. Begin freshman year as a starting player, 4. Achieve glory as an All-American, 5. Get drafted to play professional sports.

Reality is, for most, quite a bit different. That said, while “objects in real life” may appear different, it does not mean that goals aren’t achievable, as clearly evidenced by the career to date of one young Wolverine, Nolan Cooney.

Nolan arrived at Bridgton Academy in the fall of 2015 with aspirations to play as a punter on the football team. While he was an accomplished three-sport athlete in high school back in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, not one of his sports happened to be football. During his junior year, Nolan’s athletic pursuits were unexpectedly sidelined after receiving a cancer diagnosis that turned much of his life upside down. Nolan lost out on most of that year as he went through his personal battle with cancer. It was during Nolan’s recovery that his curiosity about punting was born, primarily stemming from time spent watching YouTube videos. When Nolan was well enough to return to school and sports, he began to gain real life experience kicking the football. In August of 2015, Nolan joined his first-ever football team: the Bridgton Academy Wolverines.

After a successful academic and athletic year at Bridgton, Nolan aspired to continue his pursuit of punting at the collegiate level and set his sights on Division I Syracuse University. He had not been recruited by the Orange, nor did he have scholarship papers in hand. As was the case with much in Nolan’s life to date, he was driven by his own motivation. “I remember reaching out to the team about walking on and they basically said ‘show up at this date and time,’ and that’s what I did.” For the first four years of Nolan’s collegiate experience, he never once saw the game field as a punter. “I had only kicked for one year at Bridgton prior to walking on at Syracuse. I was nowhere near ready to play in a college football game at that level. I needed time, experience, and reps. I got this during my first four years. It’s so important to remember that it takes time to become successful at something. You have to put this work in before you can feel free and comfortable to do things on your own without the training wheels. I had four years of opportunity to watch and learn from a really good player.”

While serving as a backup may have been frustrating for some, for Nolan it provided opportunity for growth, learning, and the chance to hone his craft. When the pandemic hit and students had extended athletic eligibility, Nolan accepted a scholarship offer from Syracuse to return for a fifth year of play as a punter, holder, and kickoff specialist. “Getting my chance to start in my fifth year was amazing, but a little weird,” Nolan reflects. “There were no fans in the stands, so you had to kind of build your own motivation. I went out and just went for it. I built a baseline. I made improvements and adjustments and worked to get better. When I got the opportunity to play that year, I really had to look in the mirror and ask myself ‘Am I doing everything in my power to perform to the best of my ability? Am I practicing at the highest level? Am I working hard in the weight room?’ It’s important to evaluate all of this and make sure you aren’t short selling yourself.”

Nolan certainly did not sell himself short as a senior starter, earning All-America and All-ACC honors, ranking as one of the top college punters in the nation, and even being recognized with the 2020 Brian Piccolo Award. With his master’s degree almost complete and his college playing career nearing an end, Nolan began to think about what might be next.

“For me, I didn’t have this end-all be-all plan to play in the NFL. I am a firm believer

“It’s so important to remember that it takes time to become successful at something. You have to put this work in before you can feel free and comfortable to do things on your own without the training wheels.”

Brian Piccolo Award

Given annually since 1970, the Brian Piccolo Award recognizes the most courageous football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Nolan was the first Syracuse student-athlete to ever be honored with this award. passion for the game. “Our summer schedule started with OTAs (Organized Team Activities), rookie camp, and now training camp. There is an intent for everything that the organization is doing right now, whether you are learning the playbook or meeting the personnel. The summer is for building the baseline so you can be ready when it’s time to play.” Nolan has enjoyed getting to know the other players and coaches, making friends along the way, and continuing to develop his specialized skill set. And, while he has found that the business of professional football can be challenging, he is loving every minute of it. “One of the biggest takeaways I have had so far in the NFL is to not look too far ahead. When you start running dates and numbers, you overthink things, and you can lose sight of what you are trying to do.” Nolan is focused on his game, his work, and continuing with the competitive drive that has brought him so far. “I don’t think that I will ever find a job that is better than this. For me, maybe for everyone who signs a contract saying that they get to play football for a job, I absolutely love it.”

of letting things happen as they go. I was the punter who didn’t play in my first four years of college. I was a holder for those years, but unfortunately, they don’t take guys in the NFL just for holding the football. As things progressed in my fifth year though, and I started to see some success, a few people began to talk to me about maybe continuing to do this. I started to think about whether punting might be a viable option for me in the future.”

Nolan’s opportunity came with an invitation to rookie camp with the New Orleans Saints in 2021. For the recent college graduate, it was, for some time at least, a dream come true. Then, when the fall season approached, Nolan was released by the team. “The biggest thing that I took away from my time with the Saints was learning about this business, and about myself. The business of professional football is incredibly cutthroat. If you don’t exceed the team’s expectations, you’ll be moving along. It’s not personal, it’s just how the business works. The people in the front office are humans, too, and their job is to select the best people that they think will win football games. Add to that, being a punter is a perfectionist role. We maybe only get five opportunities per game to perform to the best of our ability.”

Just as he didn’t nurture frustration during his time as a collegiate backup, Nolan didn’t let being cut turn into anything less than a positive experience on his trajectory. “It’s really common to get cut. Just about every player experiences this. I took it as a chance to retool, to learn more about my technique and performance, and to reflect and gain confidence.” During his brief time away from football, Nolan worked internships, planned for his future, and continued to master his trade. “I wasn’t prepared to give up on the opportunity to play,” Cooney shared. “I want to keep playing this game as long as I can.”

In the spring of 2022, workout opportunities again began to come Nolan’s way. Soon thereafter, Nolan signed a futures contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and was packing his bags to move west. Since April, Nolan has been training with the Cardinals at their facility in Tempe, adjusting to the Arizona heat, and continuing to pursue his

BA

Nolan Cooney ’16 is a native of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and currently resides in Chandler, AZ. When not on the field, he can be found watching the Red Sox, playing golf in the Arizona heat, and enjoying all things sports.

Pointers from the Punter

Does character matter in the NFL, or just talent?

I think character does matter and plays a role in what teams are looking for. You don’t want someone who is going to create distractions. There are absolutely positive ways players can distinguish themselves off the field in every sport at every level.

How do you know if you have what it takes?

It’s important to understand what your ability is and get an honest evaluation of where you are. This is a powerful tool. Be realistic about where you can fit within an organization. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Focus on how you can practice at your highest level and be the best teammate.

How does a punter train?

It’s kind of like being a baseball pitcher. You only kick so much a week. You need to keep your legs healthy and strong – quality over quantity. The best evaluation when you punt is the feel, film is a great tool, but it all comes down to how things feel and keeping ultimate focus every time you swing your leg.

How do you maintain your mental health in this sport?

Make sure you take time to enjoy the things you like. I like watching baseball at the end of the night. Don’t let yourself get in the deep trap of over-criticizing every performance. Each kick is an individual thing that is then behind you.

Do you have big-game superstitions?

I do everything in my power to avoid all of this. I try to do the opposite of any pregame superstition or routine. Some people say things like “I’ve got to put on my left shoe first,” I totally mix it up and stay unpredictable.

What is your playbook like?

For me, the playbook is as small as it gets. I have a couple of plays to learn, punt left, punt right, etc. That said, there is a hyper focus on those few plays.