David was a standout in cross-country and track. In cross-country, he won the individual title at the LEL Championships earning him league MVP honors. He placed 18th in the state meet that year. In track, he placed 9th in the state in the two-mile his junior season and was a conference champion and state qualifier in both the 1600m and 3200m. He was named the conference Track and Field MVP in his senior season of 1994.

After high school, David earned twelve varsity letters competing in cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track and field while attending Mount Union College. He was a 13 time NCAA All-American, 7 time NCAA National Champion, and he won 24 individual Ohio Athletic Conference Championship titles for the Purple Raiders.  

 
Cooper is a charter member of the Parma Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame, inducted in 2007.