Zack Cooley

72

Class: Junior Hometown: Lebanon, Mo. High School: Lebanon High

Height / Weight: 6-5 / 293 Position: Offensive Tackle Experience: 2L

Highly-regarded starter at left tackle who looks to improve even more for his third season in the program in 2012.

2011: Started all 11 games at left tackle for the Bears in 2011 ... Had an assignment grade of 98 percent for the season and an execution grade of 75 percent ... His overall season grade of 82 percent was highlighted by 57 knock-down blocks ... Earned a spot on the inaugural College Sports Journal FCS All-Freshman Team ... Named MSU Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 22 for win at Western Illinois.

2010: Redshirted his first year at Missouri State ... Earned Athletic Director's Honor Roll status in spring of 2011 after turning in a solid 3.53 GPA for the semester.

High School: Was a Missouri second-team all-state offensive tackle in 2009 by both the coaches and sportswriters for Coach Will Christian at Lebanon High ... Earned first-team all-conference, all-district and All-Ozarks first-team distinction at offensive tackle and defensive end for the Yellowjackets ... Claimed first-team Academic All-State honors ... In 2008, he was an honorable mention on the all-conference and all-district teams ... Began his football career at Lebanon High as a tight end ... Was also a three-year starter for the basketball team ... Threw shot put and discus for the track and field squad ... Participated in the Missouri Lions Club All-Star Game in the summer of 2010.

Personal: Zachary Ray Cooley was born 9/12/91 in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. ... Son of the late Tony Cooley and Anna Cooley Henson of Lebanon, Mo. ... Has three siblings, Nick Maddux, Alex Cooley and Sam Henson ... His brother Nick is a 2010 graduate of Missouri State, and his grandfather, Bill Maddux, attended MSU in the 1960s ... He was also recruited by Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois ... Majoring in Accounting.