Brandin Cooks

Brandin Tawan Cooks, born on September 25, 1993, grew up in Stockton, California. As a promising young athlete, he played several sports at Lincoln High School. As a High School football player, Cooks showed great promise, earning 29 receptions for 600 yards and seven touchdowns during his sophomore year. This potential grew over the next few years, leading to him being ranked as the 26th-best wide receiver and the 240th overall prospect in his class by the Rivals.com recruiting network.

Although he initially committed to UCLA, Cooks later decided to attend Oregon State University, where he played from 2011 to 2013 under Coach Mike Riley. This led to several accomplishments, including a 59-yard reception touchdown against BYU in his first year, an 80-yard touchdown reception in a victory over Wisconsin in his sophomore year, and breaking Pac-12 records in his junior year for most receptions and receiving yards in a season.

Despite his success at Oregon State, Cooks decided to forego his senior year and entered the 2014 NFL Draft, wherein he was selected by the New Orleans Saints. The Saints had traded their first and third-round picks to the Arizona Cardinals to secure this pick. Cooks went on to sign a four-year contract with the Saints worth $8.3 million, making him the highest-drafted player from Oregon State since Ken Carpenter in 1950.

In his first game for the Saints, Cooks proved his talents by notching seven passes and a touchdown during an 18-yard rush. Over his first three seasons with the Saints, Cooks was a key component of their offensive strategy due to his natural skill and rate of improvement. However, in 2017, the Saints traded Cooks to the New England Patriots for their 2017 first-round and third-round draft picks.

With the Patriots, Cooks saw excellent results. In his first season, he had 65 receptions, over 1,000 yards, and seven touchdowns. He and his teammate Rob Gronkowski formed a dynamic su which was a significant factor in the Patriots’ successful 13-3 record that season and their subsequent advancement to the Super Bowl.

In 2018, the Patriots traded Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent two seasons with modest results.

After leaving the Rams, he moved to the Houston Texans in 2020. Later, he joined the Dallas Cowboys, cementing himself as one of the NFL’s most formidable wide receivers. Through all his career moves, Cooks has remained a respected and successful presence in the world of professional football. His athletic prowess, disciplined commitment, and strong abilities have enabled him to accomplish much in the sport.

While football has formed the main part of Cooks’s athletic career, he also ran track at Oregon State, achieving a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash at the 2012 UW Invitational.

The story of Brandin Cooks is one of unyielding dedication to his craft, continuous improvement, and resilience in the face of professional change. His performances on the field have set numerous records and left a lasting impact on every team he has played for over his career.