On Friday, the Memphis Showboats selected former Philadelphia Stars quarterback Case Cookus in the disposal draft. The Stars did not make the cut and will not play in the UFL in 2024.
Case Cookus is six foot four and weighs 205 pounds. The 28-year-old from Thousand Oaks, California, completed 218 of 247 passes (63%) for 2,294 yards, 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and 51 carries for 278 yards in ten games for the Stars in 2023.
The Stars drafted Cookus in the twelfth round (94th pick) in the 2022 USFL Draft. Cookus took over the Stars’ quarterback role after Bryan Scott was injured in Week 3 against the New Jersey Generals. He led the Stars to a 6-4 record in which Philadelphia won the North Division semi-final win over the New Jersey Generals.
Unfortunately, Cookus broke his leg in the USFL Championship game as the Stars lost to the Birmingham Stallions 33-30. Cookus went 17 of 29 completions (58.6%) for 65 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and one carry for five yards.
Cookus finished the season going 130 of 208 completions (62.5%) for 1,334 yards, 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, 22 carries for 217 yards, and one touchdown in nine games, of which seven were starts. After the season, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams and was placed on the practice squad.
Before Philadelphia, Cookus signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He also had stints with the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and Edmonton Elks.
Collegiately, Cookus played five seasons at Northern Arizona University (2015-19) completing 892 of 1,431 passes (62%) for 12,082 yards, 105 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, 206 carries for 232 yards, and six touchdowns in 41 games for the Lumberjacks.
Cookus won the Jerry Rice Award in 2015, First Team All-Big Sky Conference (2015), Big Sky Conference Co-Freshmen of the Year (2015), and STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year (2015).
