'Every rep matters': The grind never stops for Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush

When you’re a professional athlete, there isn’t much time to reflect on things in-season. Even when it’s your first NFL start. And it’s on Sunday Night Football. And you’re the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

And you win.

That’s where Cooper Rush was in Week 8 in late October last season. Filling in for an injured Dak Prescott, Rush threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns, the final one a 5-yard pass to Amari Cooper with 55 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 20-16 victory.

But a day later, the focus turned to the upcoming game against Denver, one that Prescott would start.

That’s life as a backup quarterback.

Rush was back in Lansing last week to coach in the Taylor Moton 517 Football Camp, which was held Saturday at Hope Sports Complex. Rush is also visiting with family during his time here.

“I waited a long time, five years to get a chance,” Rush said on Saturday. “Lot of mental reps, always being ready for games. To finally get a chance to do it was awesome.

“(In the offseason), you get to look back at it and be proud of it as a great opportunity and I was able to make the most of it. … There was a lot of work that went into it, and I was just happy to get another chance."

Rush went undrafted in 2017 coming out of Central Michigan. But the Charlotte native and Lansing Catholic graduate has managed to stick around in the NFL, with the upcoming 2022 campaign being his sixth season in the league. Rush played with the Cowboys from 2017-19 and began the 2020 season with the New York Giants, joining former coach Jason Garrett. But Rush was released in late September and joined the Cowboys in October 2020 and has been there since.

He has played in 10 career games, with last season’s game vs. the Vikings his only start.

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The Cowboys just finished OTA offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp earlier this month, where Rush was working hard to solidify his role as the backup quarterback.

“It felt good to have a full-blown offseason that was normal, no restrictions or anything,” Rush said. “We had full participation from everything. That’s kind of how we do it down there and guys love coming to work and getting better as a team.

“You just got to keep improving. Every rep matters. They all build on each other and really just hone in on some of the physical stuff, maximizing your ability and OTAs is a time to do that. You have more of the fundamental work than you do in-season when you’re game-planning and stuff like that."

Rush is currently listed as the Cowboys’ No. 2 QB, but he’ll face competition from Will Grier and Ben DiNucci, both of whom were on the roster last year.

When the team starts preseason on July 25, Rush aims to keep working on those mental reps.

“Every year is competition. It’s just how it works in the NFL,” Rush said. “I’ve been competing for jobs my whole life, so it’s nothing new. It’s a good room, fun room. All of the guys get along. I’ll just keep working toward securing that spot.”

Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Phil_Friend.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Cooper Rush ready for competition as Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback