Sometimes, Jonathon Cooper irritates the people who love him.

The fourth year of Cooper’s Broncos career ended in splendor last season. He set a career high with 10.5 sacks and signed a four-year extension worth $60 million , changing his and his family’s lives forever. Bruce Ward, Cooper’s old high school coach back at Gahanna-Lincoln High in Ohio and still a friend, gave him a call to offer his congratulations. Man, that’s a great season .

Cooper didn’t bite. I gotta be better, he told Ward. I want the sack lead next year .

“Okay, Coop, I hear you,” Ward remembered telling him, “but it’s February, man.”

Nah, Coach, Cooper insisted. I gotta be better .

“Like, just relax and enjoy the offseason, you had a great season,” Ward said months later, reflecting. “‘Cause, you’v

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