Ernie Cooper, who played on the Cal Poly football team from 2005-08, died Thursday at his home in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Cooper, who turned 25 on June 17, was found unresponsive by a friend and could not be revived. The cause is still to be determined.

A 2004 La Serna High School graduate, Cooper was recruited as a quarterback and moved to wide receiver and slotback in 2006. He then moved to defensive back in 2007, his final season with the Mustangs.

After a redshirt season in 2004, Cooper played in nine games as a freshman in 2005, mostly on special teams. He did not attempt a pass, but in the 2005 Spring Game he connected on a pair of passes for 41 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown strike to Sean Kennedy.

As a sophomore wide receiver and slotback in 2006, Cooper rushed 11 times for 58 yards, scoring three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 60 yards, including a 44-yarder at Montana. He also completed one pass for 35 yards to Ramses Barden against San Jose State.

His three touchdown runs included two in the 2006 season opener against Fort Lewis and another against South Dakota State.

In his junior season, Cooper rushed six times for 28 yards and caught three passes for 31 more yards. He scored twice that season, both against Northern Colorado on an 11-yard run and a 10-yard reception.

Cooper did not play in any games as a senior free safety due to injuries.

At La Serna High, Cooper passed for 3,327 yards and 26 touchdowns, completing 212 of 462 career passes. He also rushed for 763 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior season (2003) and played free safety on defense.

He earned first-team All-Del Rio League honors twice as well as a pair of second-team All-CIF-Southern Section Division VII accolades. Cooper was team captain as both a junior and senior.