 Couper's first experience of American football came with the amateur British American Football league, playing eight seasons for the Glasgow Lions.Couper also played for Strathclyde University's setup in the British Collegiate American Football League in 1991, going all the way to the playoffs.In 1995 he was signed by the newly founded Claymores to fulfill their contingent of National (non-American) players; NFL Europe rules required a number to be on the roster and at least one to compete in every other series of downs.