Omar Cooper Jr. had to wait, and wait and wait to receive his first touchdown catch.
The speedy receiver was playing in his second game as the New York Jets finally had him active after dealing with a high-ankle sprain. He wasted little time making a difference with a deep route through the middle of the field and getting behind the defense. He was so open, he turned his back on the goal line while awaiting the throw from Geno Smith.
It resulted in a 48-yard touchdown catch and helped the Jets cut the New England Patriots' lead to 17-10 with 10:24 left in the third quarter. Cooper had caught all three of his targets for 73 yards and a score at that point.
The Lawrence North graduate went on to play at Indiana football, where he became an explosive playmaker en route to a national championship. Of course, he helped Fernando Mendoza who went on to win the Heisman before they entered the league together. Cooper was selected 30th overall in the first round of April's NFL Draft.
Insider: Omar Cooper Jr.'s bumpy journey from Lawrence North to IU football star still has level left
The rookie Omar Cooper Jr. makes the 48-yard touchdown catch!
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
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Cooper, a 6-foot receiver, had a 30-yard catch in the season opener on Sept. 13, but had been sidelined since.
Mendoza was the first overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, and made his career debut on Oct. 11 in mop-up duty.
IU has had other debuts this season, including Kaelon Black, a second-round pick, rising to splitting snaps with Christian McCaffery and the San Francisco 49ers. Offensive tackle Kahlil Benson started Week 1 for the Kansas City Chiefs after being an undrafted free agent.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: New York Jets rookie showcased skills, but had to wait for first NFL touchdown