Trey Cooley's Often Perilous Run to Montlake

Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar didn't survive the Apple Cup last weekend as University of Washington running backs after suffering hand and elbow injuries, respectively, that will curtail their play for the near future if not for the season.

However, Trey Cooley did -- and that was a major accomplishment in itself.

He was able to run the ball four times for a net one yard against Washington State, not overwhelming stats, but he's healthy and might wind up as the starter against Utah State on Saturday afternoon at Husky Stadium.

Cooley has had his fair share of prior injuries himself, frightening mishaps that nearly eliminated him from two full seasons of college football before he arrived in Montlake.

"I bring experience," he told the Troy athletic department in 2025. "Speed, yes. Home run ability, yes. But mostly I bring perspective."

Twenty-five months ago, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Cooley was in Ireland, playing for Georgia Tech in a season-opening game against Florida State, when he suffered a concussion in a collision on the opening kickoff.

He wouldn't play again for Tech until the 10th game of that 2024 season against Miami, when he was inserted in the second half and rushed six times for 26 yards.

However, on a third-quarter carry against the Hurricanes, he spun out of a tackler's grasp, had another guy pull on his face mask and took such a ferocious hit from yet another Hurricanes defender that his helmet went flying as if somebody had been decapitated.

Miami's Ahmad Moten Sr. gets called for targeting as he knocks Trey Cooley's Georgia Tech helmet off. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Targeting was called. Cooley was able to get to his feet and walk off the field at the end of the third quarter.

He ran three more times in the fourth period and was never seen again in a game until he showed up at Husky Stadium last Sunday.

No one should ever question this man's toughness. Just look at the Instagram post below.

If that season wasn't bad enough, Cooley tore up a knee during the week leading up to his 2025 opener for Troy and he was done before he got started.

From his concussion, he would share how he suffered from migraines and light sensitivity. He would detail how tough it was to complete the work for his coveted Georgia Tech degree.

"People don't realize how hard it is to finish school while you're recovering from a concussion," he said. "I couldn't be around light. Couldn't look at screens for long. But we found a way. That degree means a lot. They made it a priority for me, and I'm proud of that."

So now he's relatively healthy as the Huskies search for a new starting running back. It likely will be freshman Brian Bonner Jr. or Cooley to start, yet both will play.

A North Carolina native, Cooley began his career with two seasons at Louisville, where he had a certain amount of success by starting three games overall. He rushed for a career-best 112 yards against Boston College as a freshman.

He had a full season at Georgia Tech before that concussion-interrupted second season. Troy was a total bust for him. He's had to start over. It's almost like learning to walk again. Or learning how to play football all over again.

Trey Cooley is in the UW running-back mix after missing last season at Troy because of a knee injury. | Dave Sizer phot

On his first play for the Huskies, Cooley dropped a pitch from Demond Williams Jr. at the WSU 5 for a six-yard loss.

UW coach Jedd Fisch said his new running back no doubt had butterflies after being out of action for so long. Still, there was a lot of stuff for him to think about besides nerves.

"Outside of that, you have to get used to getting tackled," Fisch said. "You have to get used to the ball getting ripped out. Even on couple of those runs, he had to make sure to have a cognizant effort to make sure that ball was protected, which sometimes means you pass up a couple yards to make sure you protected it."

Yet on his final carry of the Apple Cup, Cooley rushed for 4 yards and a first down, looking better adjusted in his latest comeback attempt, if not resembling the UW's next starting tailback.

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