Graduate student Cooper Tyler finds himself in a peculiar situation that not many UT athletes are in. He is a part of the University’s track and field team, competing in the javelin event. The difference is he studies at the University of Texas School of Law, a top-20 law school in the country according to U.S. News.
The passion for law has always been present for Tyler, as both of his parents are lawyers, but he personally fell in love with the idea of fairness in the courtroom and allowing both sides to stand on equal footing.
“Having zealous advocacy and hardworking lawyers on both sides guarantees a fair trial that upholds a defendant’s rights,” Tyler said. “It allows both sides to argue their peace and let the citizens decide and I love that. I want to be a part of that more than anything.”
As hard as balancing school and sports can be, Tyler feels that track and field helped prepare him for law school.
“I think athletics prepares people to keep pushing and try to be the best version of themselves they can be,” Tyler said. “That definitely, I think, comes into law school. If you want to make better grades you have to put the time in and sacrifice some things that other people want.”
As much as Tyler’s performance on the track is significant, he understands that in being a student-athlete, the student is still important. Tyler was a three-time SCAC honor roll and in 2023 on the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team.
“My parents always just highlighted growing up how important academics are,” Tyler said. “I never would have made it to graduate school at UT if it wasn’t for the grades and the time that I worked and made it on the honor roll in undergrad.”
In Tyler’s first year competing for the Longhorns he threw for 60.93m in the javelin at the Texas Relays. He also won the Cameron Burrell Alumni javelin event with a throw of 58.94m, and even contributed to Texas winning the Big 12 championship with a throw of 61.24m, which gave him a seventh place finish.
With one final season of collegiate eligibility left, Tyler looks to make the most out of his last season by working on improving himself and continuing to contribute to the team as Texas moves into the SEC.
“I know next year, the SEC is going to be a step up even further,” Tyler said. “The goal right now is to place in the SEC (competitions) and to throw a new PR, maybe break the 70-meter mark, which is a long distance for javelin.”
