ALAMEDA — Amari Cooper said grew up as an admirer of Randy Moss, but any comparisons between the Raiders’ first-round draft pick and the last man to gain 1,000 yards receiving in silver and black stop right there.

Cooper chooses his words carefully, and based on his introductory news conference Friday at the club facility, most of his air time will be on highlights and not sound bytes.

Asked if his serious demeanor helped him excel in big games, the Alabama receiver said, “I’m not really sure. This is just how I’ve always been. It’s really hard for me to answer that question. I’m sorry.”

The answer came in such hushed tones that a voice from the auditorium requested that Cooper speak up so people could hear him.

Cooper is a product of the Alabama program under Nick Saban which frowns on being outspoken or out in front at the expense of the team. It’s all about practice and the process, and Cooper used both to become the Fred Biletnikoff Award winning receiver with 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“He wanted us to work hard. He wanted guys of high character. He wanted us to be diligent in our approach to watching film, taking practice really serious,” Cooper said. “He believes if you practice well, you play well.”

Cooper approaches practice in that way.

“I just treat practice as if it’s a game,” Cooper said. “I try to visualize me running those routes in practice like I’m running them in the games. I just take practice real serious.”

Even in a pair of photos posted on Twitter by the team, one sitting at a desk and the other with wide receivers coach Rob Moore, his face is expressionless, without a hint of a smile.

Where Cooper comes alive is on the field, and quarterback Derek Carr can hardly wait to get a look at him on the field.

“He’s very good in and out of his breaks,” Carr told radio station 95.7 The Game. “You know he’s going to create separation. He’s going to make all the other receivers better. Everyone on this team should be happy to have him.”

After he was selected, Cooper had his first conversation with his new favorite quarterback.

“He called me after I got drafted,” Cooper said. “He was just saying you have to put in a lot of work, and he’s ready to go to work. And I agreed with him.”

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio thinks Cooper will help set a practice tone for veteran players, rather than the other way around.

“I think the mindset that he brings is one that we are building here in terms of understanding the correlation between practice and the performance that you give during practice, and how that translates on to the field on game days,” Del Rio said. “Having a healthy appreciation of that is a good thing and one we’re working very hard to develop.”

Cooper, who wore No. 9 at Alabama, said he will wear No. 19 with the Raiders. The NFL doesn’t allow wide receivers to wear numbers in single digits.