James Cook, the 23-year-old running back for the Buffalo Bills, saw a lot of action in the first half of the franchise’s Week 13 game against the New England Patriots.
Among the Bills’ snaps in the first half, 44% were handled by Cook, who had a total of eight carries. Nyheim Hines, who is a more experienced player, managed 42% of the snaps.
Who is James Cook?
James Cook was born in Miami, Florida, on September 25, 1999. He pursued his studies at the Miami Central Senior High School and later at the University of Georgia. As a school freshman, the 5′ 11″ RB had eight touchdowns to his name, along with 709 rushing yards and 99 carries. Cook later took a transfer to Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
He is the brother of Dalvin Cook, who plays as a running back for the Minnesota Vikings. Before he joined the NFL, Cook had said regarding his brother, “That is a motivational factor just knowing that you’ve got an older brother in the NFL,” further adding, “And that’s someplace you want to be some day. So that just kind of make me wanted to work extra hard knowing that I had an older brother in the league and is a baller. That played a factor too.”
In his first year as a college freshman, Cook played in 13 games for the Georgia Bulldogs and managed to rush for a total of 31 times, covering 188 yards. He also scored two touchdowns.
Cook did not miss a single game during his sophomore year, and was the team’s second-best rusher in 2020. He did not managed to play in the 2021 Peach Bowl after the death of his father. However, Cook became one of the key figures of the Bulldogs’ team that won the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship.
He was picked up for the first time by the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cook scored the first touchdown of his professional career against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
