THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The individual success, the team success and the ensuing new contract had a lot to do with Cooper Kupp's own drive and work ethic.
Yet as he reflected on his recently-signed, 3-year extension, he thought more about those around him who put him in position to be that successful.
"I wasn't really thinking of anyone – I was trying to remember what my signature was, what date it was," Kupp said with a smile during a video conference Thursday. "No, I mean, really I was thinking of all the people that have been a part of my life who have poured into me. In one way or another, there are so many people that have hand in making me who I am today as a person, as a father, as a husband and as a football player. There's so many people, and I was just thinking of how many people I've come in contact with, that have influenced me in a positive way and are important to me."
Fittingly, two of those reminders were with him when he signed his new contract on Wednesday.
His wife, Anna, who worked full-time in college to support the couple and allow Kupp to focus on football, sat to his right. While signing, he wore a replica Matthew Stafford jersey as a tribute to the quarterback that played a pivotal role in his triple-crown-winning 2021 season.
"I thought it was kind of a cool thing. Certainly, he's one of those people that's had a hand in being able to be in this place and have the opportunity to extend my career here in Los Angeles and be able to sign that contract," said Kupp, whose 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns all led the NFL last year. "Obviously, your quarterback plays a huge role in that. A little bit of a nod to Matthew Stafford in that way."
The Rams front office – that drafted Kupp and believed in him five years ago – was publicly vocal about wanting to get an extension done for Kupp. General manager Les Snead was the latest to convey that urgency when he said on Monday's Rich Eisen Show that they would love to get it done "before (training) camp. We'd love to do it sooner than possible," two days before that new contract was signed.
Anytime Kupp was asked about a potential extension or new deal this offseason, he never expressed concern. When the Rams made it clear getting one done was a priority, it meant a lot to him.
"I'm so thankful for this organization and the coaching staff, up to the front office," Kupp said. "This is an organization I want to be a part of for a long time, so to have those people who I have a lot of respect for be able to show me that they want me to be here, that this was a priority for them, I'm incredibly grateful for that and I don't take that lightly."
Kupp said he understands that there was a lot that was out of his control of his career in his life and that "God had his hand in things that fell into place for me." There's a humility to this milestone because he knows he and his family did not reach it alone.
But before they look forward to this next chapter of their lives, Kupp has some summer plans to tend to first before getting back to the grind.
"I need to take my wife somewhere, that's regardless whether the deal got done or not. That's something that needs to happen," Kupp said. "We're figuring that out right now. And then we got some stuff we want to do on the weekends, be able to take the boys out to Yellowstone, or go make some road trips see (and) see some of the incredible things in this world, in terms of creation, that we want to experience."
In celebration of Los Angeles wide receiver Cooper Kupp's birthday, take a look through the best photos of his Triple Crown, NFL Offensive Player of the Year & Super Bowl MVP-winning season.
Behind the scenes of the Los Angeles Rams open video directed by Award-winning director Wally Pfister.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football during Week 5 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Houston Texans in Week 8 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Green Bay Packers during Week 12 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Indiniapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
MVP Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams encounters Iron Man, Spider-Man, a member of the Dora Milaje and Black Panther inside Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Kupp visited the Disneyland Resort one day after the Los Angeles Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers during Week 18 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Indiniapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass and runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship Game, Sunday, January 30, 2022, in Inglewood, CA. The Rams won 20-17. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) hurdles over a defender during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, December 13, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/NFL)
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams enters the field with an American Flag during player introductions before playing against the Tennessee Titans in an NFL game, Sunday, November 7, 2021, in Inglewood, CA. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass and runs against the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl LVI, February 13, 2022, in Inglewood, CA. The Rams won 23-20. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 of the 2021 regular season.
Los Angeles Rams host 2021 training camp practice at UC Irvine.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Baltimore Ravens during Week 17 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams celebrate the Super Bowl LVI Championship at the LA city parade.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Houston Texans in Week 8 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Minnesota Vikings during Week 16 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Minnesota Vikings during Week 16 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams passes the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl LVI, February 13, 2022, in Inglewood, CA. The Rams won 23-20. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass and runs against the Chicago Bears during the Rams 34-14 victory in an NFL Week 1 game, Sunday, September 12, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Indiniapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
MVP Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams celebrate Super Bowl victory with a jubilant cavalcade down Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 14, 2022. The players visited the Disneyland Resort one day after the Los Angeles Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. (Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL game, Sunday, January 9, 2022, in Inglewood, CA. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Houston Texans in Week 8 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Baltimore Ravens during Week 17 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals during Week 14 of the 2021 regular season.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) at the 2022 NFL Honors, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (Cooper Neill/NFL)
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams catches a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship Game, Sunday, January 30, 2022, in Inglewood, CA. The Rams won 20-17. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals during Week 14 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks during Week 15 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks during Week 15 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams hit the practice field to prepare for the Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Green Bay Packers during Week 12 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams celebrate the Super Bowl LVI Championship at the LA city parade.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers during Week 18 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Bucceneers in Week 3 of the 2021 season. The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the New York Giants in Week 6 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams celebrate the Super Bowl LVI Championship at the LA city parade.
Inglewood, CA: October 3, 2021: Los Angeles Rams host the Arizona Cardinals at Sofi Stadium. (Carrie Giordano/Los Angeles Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams took on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals during Week 14 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football during Week 5 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals during Week 14 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Indiniapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams took on the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Jacksonville Jaguars during Week 13 of the 2021 regular season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
Wide Receiver (10) Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams poses on Super Bowl LVI Media Day, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Thousand Oaks, CA. (Jeff Lewis/LA Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Indiniapolis Colts in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Bucceneers in Week 3 of the 2021 season. The Los Angeles Rams take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 of the 2021 season.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers during Week 18 of the 2021 regular season.
