Why Neumann Goretti defensive back C’Andre Hooper is ‘one of the best-kept secrets in the city’

Stranded on a deserted island?

If you’re a teammate, a member of his family, or just a stranger in need, count yourself lucky if you are marooned alongside C’Andre Hooper.

By all accounts, the Neumann Goretti senior defensive back has a heart of gold, is driven toward success, and is extremely intelligent.

Steer clear of Hooper Island, however, if you’re an opposing wide receiver.

The 6-foot-3 cornerback with the nearly 40-inch vertical leap has allowed just two catches all season: one apiece in the Saints’ last two games, including the Nov. 5 victory against Conwell-Egan that clinched the Catholic League Blue Division crown.

That’s one reason Saints coach Albie Crosby says Hooper is “probably one of the best-kept secrets in the city.”

Perhaps another: Hooper has yet to field a scholarship offer. The Saints’ current PIAA playoff run won’t help, either.

Hooper isn’t eligible for postseason because of transfer rules. He’ll miss Saturday’s 1 p.m. Class 3A first-round game against District 2′s Scranton Prep (11-1) at Northern Lehigh High School.

With few opportunities to prove himself remaining, Hooper could be considered an underdog in the recruiting world.

If you listen to his mother, who in June was severely injured by a drunk driver, Hooper likely wouldn’t have it any other way.

“He’s always been a kid who looks for the underdog, rallying around someone who no one else thinks is important or is teased or is bullied,” Andrea Jackson said in a phone interview. “He’s the kid who always stands up for people like that.”

Crosby, who has helped develop several Division I defensive backs in his 20-plus years in coaching, says Hooper is freakishly athletic but still learning the position.

The 18-year-old mainly played defensive end during his three years at Olney.

Hooper was highly effective last year, but says he transferred in part because few games at Olney were recorded, which meant he had little to show college coaches.

When he arrived at NG, Hooper says the team embraced him immediately. It took a bit longer, though, for him to embrace the conditioning drills.

“I threw up the first two days during [camp],” Hooper said, laughing during a phone interview. “The conditioning here was much harder than [Olney].”

“Your legs get tired, muscles cramp up,” he added later, “but you’ve still got to do it because you can’t quit.”

Freakish athleticism has always served him well.

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Last year, Hooper went viral because of an incredible windmill dunk over a defender that was as ferocious as it was acrobatic.

But determination and competitive spirit might be what truly sets him apart.

“He’s a dog,” Crosby said. “He just loves the game. That’s what separates him from everybody else. He just plays so hard.”

Long arms, quick feet, and elite leaping ability combined with a desire to dominate helped Hooper blanket every receiver he covered this season.

“I just always felt like I couldn’t let nobody get a catch on me,” he said.

As the weeks passed, Hooper, his teammates, and his coaches noticed that no receiver had beaten him for a single reception.

“Everybody knew,” he said. “They really wanted me to finish the season without letting anyone catch one on me, but it didn’t happen like that.”

Hooper didn’t allow a catch until the Saints (10-1) reached Week 9. He gave up another catch in Week 10. Both still bother him.

“Because I feel like if only I had gotten out of my break faster,” he said of the first one. “And on the second one, if only I turned my head faster, I could’ve had my fourth interception.”

Not too shabby for someone who, at times this season, had to remind himself to stay in coverage when the quarterback scrambled instead of pursuing like he did as a defensive lineman.

Hooper says he’s disappointed that he’ll miss the playoffs against the best players across the state. But he’s grateful to have played against better competition this season.

He still plans to help from the sidelines, but he won’t be eligible to play again until the Saints play South Philadelphia High School on Thanksgiving.

“I finally got my shot, and it’s over now,” he said, “but hopefully, it’s not really over. Hopefully, I can go to the next level.”

Hooper has always been drawn toward those who are overlooked, so he enjoys when his coach calls him a “best-kept secret.”

“I love that … because I never wanted to be a superstar,” he said. “Honestly, I always wanted to be the guy that people say, ‘We never heard of him. Let’s test him.’”

Hooper was around 11 years old when he suddenly opened the car door, surprising his mother while they were on vacation in Virginia.

He exited the vehicle, walked over to an unhoused person holding a sign, and offered his allowance.

“I was like, ‘Son, you only have a couple dollars,’” Jackson said. “He was like, ‘Yeah, but we’re going to get food. We’re fine. I don’t need the money.’”

Jackson, now 47, says Hooper is the most compassionate of her three children.

In June, she was struck by a drunk driver while unloading groceries from her car. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors saved her right leg but had to amputate the left.

“He checks in with me several times a day,” said Jackson, who works from home.

“Beyond just football and academics,” she added later, “he’s just an all-around, good, compassionate kid. He checks everybody’s temperature and makes sure everyone is OK, and that’s not something that a lot of young men do for their families or for their community.”

He likely gets it from his mother, who describes herself as a social worker by profession “and by heart.”

Perhaps she also supplied some of his athleticism.

Jackson played basketball at Martin Luther King High, where she won back-to-back Public League titles in 1991 and ‘92. Hooper plans to play for the Saints basketball team this season.

Jackson also played volleyball and basketball at Manor College and then played volleyball, softball, and ran track at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

“She always taught me to just keep going,” Hooper said. “I think, ‘What would my mom do? What would she say if she was here?’ I know she’d be pushing me. So I know if I ever gave up, I’d be giving up on my mom, and I can’t give up on my mom!”

Later, he added: “My mom means everything to me. She is the source of everything I do, and the thing that keeps me going.”

Sports, Jackson explained, taught her about perseverance, building relationships, and aspiring to be great.

In fact, she shares a tattoo with her three children on the inside of their left biceps. It reads, “Strive 4 Greatness.”

Her daughter, Cobree Hooper, who ran track at Germantown Academy, was heavily involved at Lincoln University, where she briefly ran track, earned a prestigious internship in venture capital, and was named woman of the year for her academic and extracurricular achievements. She graduated in May.

“We don’t just do things,” Jackson said, laughing. “We bust them open!”

College coaches might want to take note.

“All I can say is give him a shot and you will not be disappointed,” Jackson said. “Bet on him. Honestly, just bet on him. You won’t lose.”