Oct. 2, 2003
By Jennifer Renaker * Host Communications
It’s no wonder junior Tommy Cook has such a passion for football. Coming from Texas, where people eat, breathe and sleep football, he had it in his blood before he even knew it.
The Victoria, Texas, native said he has been around football all of his life and, coming from Texas, that’s all he has ever known.
“I grew up with football,” Cook said. “My dad has coached high school football and growing up as a little boy, I really didn’t go to preschool or anything like that. I always went to the field house.”
The 6-0, 190-pound wide receiver has showed his dominating force on the gridiron, starting all 12 games last season, catching 22 passes for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
A solid all-around player, Cook has developed into a stellar special teams performer, and does a tremendous job covering punts and blocking on kickoff returns.
Last season, Cook made seven tackles and provided excellent coverage as he helped the Wildcats set a school record for team net punting average. He also was a blocker on the kickoff return that helped teammate Derek Abney return two kicks for touchdowns.
“I just love the competition and the emotion of the game,” Cook said. “That’s what you live for and that’s what keeps you going in this game. If you lose that adrenaline and emotion, you might as well be dead. You have to have that in football.”
Maybe he learned that from his dad, Tommy Cook Sr., who has been coaching football and baseball in Texas high schools since 1966.
Cook is used to being in the spotlight as he helped his high school team go to the playoffs all four years in the Class 5A ranks, the highest classification in Texas. He was voted the team’s most valuable player his senior year, and collected more than 1,000 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions his sophomore season.
What impressed the UK coaching staff the most was when Cook ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at a UK Summer Football Camp. He chose Kentucky over Vanderbilt, Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame, and says the best thing he likes about playing football at UK are his teammates.
“You form some close bonds and especially coming from Texas, that was important,” Cook said. “I didn’t know anybody here but I’ve made some of the best friends here at UK and hopefully I’ll be able to keep them.”
Not only does Cook shine on the gridiron, he also shines in the classroom and in other areas of life.
A kinesiology major who will graduate a year early, Cook hopes to maintain his status as an All-SEC academic performer, while earning his master’s degree during his fifth year of eligibility. During his high school days, Cook was a member of the student council, a member of the National Honor Society and was his high school’s homecoming king, senior prom king and voted “Mr. Victoria High School.”
He also was a star middle infielder in baseball for Victoria, winning all-district and All-Bay Area honors as a sophomore and junior.
Cook comes from an athletic family. His grandfather, Travis Cook, played football and ran track at East Texas State and also played minor league baseball. His father played football and baseball at Blinn Junior College and continued his baseball career at Pan American University.
Even though he has received advice from his family, Cook also looks to the older players he has competed with to give him some help on the field.
“I still talk to Aaron Boone, Dougie Allen and Champ Kelly quite often,” Cook said. “You ask them for advice because they’ve walked in a lot more steps than I have in this game and they have some advice to give. And when they give it, you listen and take it with you on the field.”Cook said he likes to pass that knowledge that was given to him to the younger players on the team.
Taking advice from former Wildcat players who played for different coaches is nothing new for Cook, as he is adjusting to many changes from Rich Brooks and the rest of the Kentucky coaching staff, after getting used to former coach Guy Morriss’ system.
“It’s been a big transition, but change is good,” Cook said. “It was something that we all needed. This coaching staff brings a totally different philosophy that pushes us to work hard and makes us more competitive.”
Cook said the team will need to learn how to work together in order to defeat the Florida Gators today.
“I just think we all need to come together and be on the same page,” Cook said. “There have been times when our offense has played well and the defense hasn’t been on, and vice versa. Once we can get together on the same page, I think we can be a great force out there on the field.
“We all want to go to a bowl game,” Cook said of the team goals for this season. “We just want to win games and I want to help my team in any way that I can to accomplish that. I want to send these seniors out with a bowl game and make them feel good about themselves. Our key to winning is just understanding our offensive system better.”
