James Cook Hopes To Be The Next In Line Of Great Running Backs To Come Out Of South Florida
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – "You can cut the film on. He's going to advertise himself!"
That's what three-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook yelled over the phone as his brother, James, spoke with CBS4.
James Cook, just like his older brother, was a standout player at Miami Central. He said going through the Rockets' program came with a certain standard you must uphold. Going through any school in Miami was a key step in preparing him for the top talent at the next level.
"There's so much talent that went through there. Playing on a national stage, you're going to compete with the best every day," he said. "So, I think that just helped me a lot in college and prepared me for where I'm at today."
He's heading towards the NFL as a national champion. Cook was a big part of Georgia's win over Alabama in this year's title game and saved the best of his moves for last. A 67-yard run in the 33-18 win was the longest of his career.
"It's like the baby-NFL," James said, when asked about playing at UGA and the SEC.
In his final season, he ran for more than 700 yards, averaged 6.4 yards per carry and scored seven times on the ground. He added four more touchdowns through the air. Production he believes speaks for itself.
"Just going down there and dominating whoever I played, you get respect off that, period," he said.
Pro Football Focus' draft analysis of James says:
"Cook is like a mini-version of his brother Dalvin. He's a big play waiting to happen when he gets the ball in space."
They labeled him as a change-of-pace back that will be a mismatch for NFL linebackers.
James is currently training for that lifelong dream of making big plays in the NFL. He's working on parts of his game like foot work, pass catching and other drills for his pro day coming up in March.
Coming out of the combine, James felt confident in his performance, crediting his agent Matt Leist for preparing him for team interviews. He says he's met with more than half the teams, with more meetings still on the schedule.
James is getting a big endorsement from his brother Dalvin, who on the call yelled, "The Cook brothers are taking over!"
Both said to be in the NFL at the same time would be a dream come true. They'd love to reunite on the same team, but just making it this far would be a great moment for their family.
Before handing the phone back to his brother, Dalvin said, "That's going to be the best thing our family can experience. We come from Miami. We didn't come from nothing really."