Who Is Arch Manning's Father Cooper? Get to Know the Athlete's Dad

The Manning family's effectively royalty in the world of football ... do the names Peyton or Eli sound familiar? They're Cooper Manning's brothers. The family has a new star in the University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

And what's interesting is Arch's father, Cooper, also has a history in sports -- although it's not too similar to the careers of Cooper's brothers

We're going to check out how the Cooper made a name for himself and how he's supported his son through the early stages of Arch's football path.

So, it turns out Cooper's not too different from the rest of his family, because he has a history with football.

The former athlete was an All-State wide receiver in Louisia during his high school career, and he was set to play ball for Ole Miss, according to Bleacher Report.

However, his football career was cut short when he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis -- defined by the Mayo Clinic as narrowing of the spinal canal -- prior to the start of his freshman year.

Cooper ultimately moved on from football to prioritize his health, and Peyton later changed his number from 14 to 18, which his brother wore in high school.

Cooper didn't exactly stay away from football for long, as he began creating content centered on the gridiron for "The Dan Patrick Show" in 2012.

He later joined the hosting team of the NFL pre-game show "Fox NFL Kickoff," and he's hosted a recurring segment titled "The Manning Hour" for several years.

In addition to his broadcasting career, Cooper works as AJ Capital Partners' principal and senior managing director in investor relations, where he helps manage a portfolio of hotels.

The former athlete also worked for investment boutique Howard Weil, and he was involved in its 2012 sale to Scotia Bank.

Cooper started his family with his wife Ellen, who he married in 1999. Oh, and it's worth mentioning his spouse has athletic inclinations, too, because she helped Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans achieve its first volleyball state championship in 1986.

In addition to Arch, the couple shares a daughter named May and a second son, Heid.

May followed in her mother's footsteps and played volleyball for Academy of the Sacred Heart, where she served as a team captain.

Heid decided to stay close to his older brother when picking a college ... he's also a student at the University of Texas, Austin.

Cooper's been supportive of Arch's football aspirations, and he opened up about his feelings regarding his son's career on the field on an episode of the "Subpar" podcast in September 2024.

The former athlete said seeing the attention given to his son was "nerve-wracking," and said he was "trying to enjoy it."

Cooper also stated he wanted his son to be seen as a "good teammate" above all else, as opposed to becoming the focus of "fans and critics."