Punishing opposing defenses with his hard-smashing style of running at fullback, Bill "Cannonball" Cooper '61 was named Associate Press Little All-America First Team in 1960 after leading the Fighting Muskies to an undefeated 9-0 season.

Cooper was a three-time First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection ('58, '59, '60) and the only player to win the Mike Gregory Award three years in a row as the outstanding back in the conference.

As a junior, Cooper rushed for 1,191 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,102 yards and 23 touchdowns on 158 carries. Cooper accumulated 152 total points that year and earned a roster spot in the prestigious Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. He finished his career with 3,651 rushing yards, a 5.5-yards-per-carry average, and scored 364 points en route to leading Muskingum to a 28-7 record during his tenure. After his collegiate career, Cooper played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1961-1966.

Cooper was inducted into the Muskingum Hall of Fame in 1980, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the New Philadephia Hall of Fame in 2013.