Tamarcus Cooley’s LSU path reaches beyond football

LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley’s winding football journey brought him to the program he watched from Raleigh, North Carolina. His impact has extended beyond Blake Baker’s defense. Cooley transferred to LSU in 2025 after stops at Maryland and North Carolina State, fulfilling a goal he held dating to his high school years at Rolesville.

The physical safety started all 13 games in 2025 for an LSU defense that led the SEC in interceptions. His role in Baker’s scheme puts his high motor and intensity on display, but Cooley told LSU Official that he does not define himself by the sport. “Football is what I do and not who I am,” he said.

Cooley’s giving drew widespread attention in August 2025 when he pulled off a crowded highway to help a mother and her two children repair a flat tire. Before the current season, Cooley and fellow safety Ty Benefield also helped a homeless woman and her children secure shelter and groceries while developing a longer-term plan.

LSU’s hiring of Lane Kiffin also reunited Cooley with a coach who had recruited him at multiple stages. Cooley said he nearly chose Ole Miss out of high school, then visited the Rebels again after entering the transfer portal from North Carolina State.

Cooley has also formed a relationship with former LSU coach Ed Orgeron, whose 2019 national championship run he watched as a young fan. He called Orgeron a hero for children from backgrounds like his and said their conversations cover football and life away from the field.

Now at the school he long hoped to represent, Cooley wants his larger legacy to center on helping people in need.

Why it matters

Cooley started every game in 2025 for an LSU defense that led the SEC in interceptions. Away from the field, he and Ty Benefield helped a homeless woman and her children find shelter and groceries.