Say Ch33se: Eagles star Cooper DeJean teams up with Cooper Sharp cheese

The Eagles’ spectacular run last season endeared so many players to Philadelphians’ hearts — Saquon in the snow, the stellar singing offensive line, our perpetually underestimated overachieving quarterback — that it’s hard to pick the one Bird who won us over the most. But there’s a good case for rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean, who skyrocketed in Philly’s collective estimation after taking several star turns on the field, including a Super Bowl pick-six on his 22nd birthday — becoming one of two “Exciting Whites” on the defensive line, and bopping himself on the head with an oversize beer can chain during the Super Bowl parade.

So it’s no surprise that the endorsement deals have come calling, and perhaps no brand pairing is as fitting as DeJean teaming up with Cooper Sharp, the cheese of choice for Philly’s new-school cheesesteaks, from Barclay Prime’s $140 rendition to the killer steaks at Johnny’s in Bryn Mawr, the latest cheesesteak-hunter darling.

The American cheese brand released a slew of DeJean- and cheesesteak-themed merchandise earlier this month, including a Say Ch33se T-shirt with the Eagle’s Philly-given nickname, Cooper DeJawn.

The Cooper x Cooper combo initially came about last fall, when the Wisconsin-owned cheese brand debuted apparel. DeJean appeared in several Instagram videos sporting Cooper Sharp hoodies, tees, socks, and more.

Given how much star power DeJean accrued between last November and now, it makes sense that Cooper Sharp came up with a fresh round of limited-edition merch that’s more tailored to their celebrity spokesperson. Besides the Cooper DeJawn number, there are T-shirts and hoodies sporting the lineup for a Sunday in Philly (Steak & Onions & Cooper & the Birds) and others with “Fly Cooper Fly” sandwiched between a flying cheesesteak.

While DeJean has proved an excellent pick for repping Cooper Sharp — appearing in cooking videos with his mom (they make “Philly cheesesteak nachos”) and tossing cheese cubes into his mouth — there’s an even bigger Cooper out there the brand would love to bring into the fold.

“Bradley Cooper was quoted in some of his interviews about the definition of a cheesesteak and mentioning Cooper [Sharp],” said Cooper Sharp brand manager Michelle Spoerl. “That really has created that strong brand awareness as well.”

Asked if Cooper Sharp has approached the actor — who opened up a NYC cheesesteak shop earlier this year with Angelo’s owner Danny DiGiampietro — Spoerl played her cards close to the vest. “We’re always trying,” she said.

Despite being increasingly well-known by Philly taste buds, Cooper Sharp’s past is somewhat mysterious. The brand has been around since 1893, when it was first crafted by upstate New York banker-turned-cheese manufacturer I.C. Cooper. Cooper’s business long outlived him, and according to company history, it moved to Philadelphia in 1918.

Newspaper archives from the 1950s show the brand was made by W.S. Pope & Sons, at a factory near 7th and Wood Streets (where the Vine Street Expressway and 676 now run). Advertisements from that time boast about the company’s process: “for generations cheese lovers have recognized the incomparable flavor of Cooper Cured Sharp Cheese! W.S. Pope & Sons use their famous curing secret to slowly bring each Cooper Cheese to the peak of tangy, zesty goodness.”

Green Bay, Wis.-based dairy specialist Schreiber Foods — a multibillion-dollar privately owned company which deals in private-label natural cheeses, cream cheese, and yogurt — acquired the Cooper Sharp brand in 1985. Spoerl declines to say where it is made, but the Northeast is by far the largest market for Cooper Sharp and Schreiber operates a plant in Shippensburg.

Part of Cooper Sharp’s edge is that it melds the creaminess of American cheese with the distinct “sharp” cheddar flavor, thanks to a hefty amount of aged cheddar in its pasteurized processed cheese mix. Its current dominance owes much to its adoption by Angelo’s owner Danny DiGiampietro, who folded it into his insanely popular cheesesteaks when he opened his South Philly shop in 2019. As customers have caught on, requesting the brand by name, even Cooper holdouts like John Bucci of John’s Roast Pork have come around on offering the cheese.

“I was just laying in bed last night, talking to my wife, and she was saying how so many people ask for it,” Bucci told The Inquirer earlier this year about his decision to start stocking Cooper Sharp. “Listen, you got to give the people what they want.”