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"It's a little strange," said Cooper, who drove to Robinson Township -- prompted by his children -- to check out his image adorning a roadside advertisement. "I never thought I'd see such a thing."

Cooper, who has tended to the health of Penn-Trafford High School student-athletes for 14 years, is the public face of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society. He is depicted on the billboard with senior football player Jason Kacinko, a Purdue-bound offensive lineman.

Cooper said the society, a non-profit organization, opted to promote Athletic Trainers Month in March (on the state and national levels) via a billboard placed in the Pittsburgh area. The advertisement is located off the Parkway West (Route 279) inbound.

"It's an honor to be selected, and they couldn't have found a better athlete to have on a billboard than Jason," Cooper said. "Other trainers and athletes could have been on the billboard, and I'm thrilled that they decided to go with us, and we get to represent Penn-Trafford."

Cooper and Kacinko share the spot with Steelers assistant trainer Ariko Iso and free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

"Both Jason and Plaxico are leaving, but I think Jason's leaving under more positive circumstances," Cooper said.

Kacinko, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound tackle who committed to Purdue in December, said he was honored to be pictured alongside Cooper.

"I think it's cool," Kacinko said. "He's been more than a trainer to me, he's been a friend. I'm just hoping the training staff at Purdue is as good as the one at Penn-Trafford.

"I was fortunate I never had a major injury in high school. I had a few sprains, dislocated fingers, but I stayed pretty healthy. That says a lot about the trainers."

Cooper reciprocated Kacinko's affection for him.

"Jason is a tremendous athlete, but better yet, he's a tremendous young man," Cooper said. "He's one of the reasons I love this job so much."

Kacinko's curiosity about the billboard didn't rival Cooper's.

"Honestly, I didn't know if they put it up yet," Kacinko said. "Not a lot of people know about it, and everyone seems surprised when I tell them. I don't know if I'll get to see it or not."

"Some of my students found out about it, and they want to take a road trip to see it," Cooper said. "I have a pretty good rapport with my students, so I don't think I have to worry about anyone vandalizing the billboard."

Cooper, 44, has served in a number of capacities with PATS -- parliamentarian and secondary school chairperson among them. He has been a member of the organization for 25 years, and a certified athletic trainer for 22.

"I think there's a lot of misinformation about the training profession," Cooper said. "There are personal trainers, and there are boxing trainers, but they have nothing to do with what we're trying to educate the public about."

Cooper joined Penn-Trafford's staff after a stint as a trainer in Virginia. He also teaches high school health, physical education and sports medicine.

"Not too many high schools in the country have a sports medicine program, and I'm proud to say we're one of them," Cooper said.

Not many people get to see a giant photo of themselves gracing a billboard, either, but Cooper thinks his new career as an advertising spokesman will be short-lived.

"We're a not-for-profit organization, and I don't know if you've ever checked the price of putting up a billboard. It's not cheap," Cooper said. "I think me appearing on something like this is a one-shot deal, but I'm glad I did get the opportunity."

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