Greg Cook

Infobox NFLretired


|caption=
width=
position=Quarterback
number=12
birthdate=birth date and age|1946|11|20
Dayton, Ohio
deathdate=
debutyear=1969
finalyear=1973
draftyear=1969
draftround=1
draftpick=5
college=Cincinnati
teams=
* Cincinnati Bengals (1969-1973)
stat1label=TD-INT
stat1value=15-11
stat2label=Yards
stat2value=1,895
stat3label=QB Rating
stat3value=87.6
nfl=COO135205
highlights=
* 1969 AFL Rookie of the Year
HOF=

Gregory Lynn Cook (born November 20, 1946 in Dayton, Ohio), is a retired American football quarterback.

Cook lived most of his life in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he excelled in baseball, basketball and football while attending Chillicothe High School.

He played collegiately at the University of Cincinnati, once throwing for 554 yards in one game, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft on the strength of Bengals coach and founder Paul Brown being impressed by Cook's performance in the Bearcats' come-from-behind victory against Miami University, which was Bo Schembechler's last game before he left to coach at the University of Michigan. Brown had attended the game, but left when the Miami Redskins' lead reached 21-6. It was only after the game that Brown discovered that Cincinnati had rallied for a 23-21 victory.

"That quarterback. That's our draft choice," said Brown after seeing film of Cook's rallying performance.

Due to John Stofa, the Bengals' starting signalcaller for much of the team's inaugural season, being released, Cook was named the Bengals' quarterback, and started spectacularly, leading the Bengals to a 3-0 record. However, in game three versus Kansas City, Cook felt a pop in his right (throwing) shoulder after being tackled and missed the next three games. Due, arguably, to the non-existence of magnetic resonance imaging tests, the fact that his rotator cuff had been torn went undiagnosed.

Despite this, Greg Cook went on to pass for 1,854 yards and led the Bengals to wins over the Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders, the two best teams in the AFL. His 9.411 yards per pass attempt and 17.5 yard per completion are rookie records that still stand. Cook was UPI's choice for AFL Rookie of the year. Recalls Cook: "I took cortisone shots and played in pain, but the shoulder hadn't started to deteriorate yet, so I could still function. I still had the strength. I felt obligated to finish the season. I'd gotten off to a good start. I didn't want to relinquish that." [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/2001/10/10/drz_insider/]

The rotator cuff began deteriorating after the season; during surgery, it was revealed that Cook also had a partially detached biceps muscle. After three operations proved futile, he retired. A 1973 comeback attempt failed and Cook retired permanently. Many football experts - including then Bengal's assistant coach Bill Walsh - say that had it not been for that injury, Cook may very well have gone on to be the greatest quarterback of all time.

Since his retirement, Greg Cook, who still lives in Cincinnati, has worked with United Parcel Service and with Worksite Information Network as a motivational speaker for labor unions.

Of interest, Cook was an art major at the University of Cincinnati, and continues to paint today. He has had works hung in the Ohio Governor's Mansion.

New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, who suffered two tears to his rotator cuff and has undergone as many surgeries to repair it, is often compared to Cook because their injuries are so similar.

Cook's injury is also compared to New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees. Brees had surgery on his rotator cuff in 2006 and finishedthe season as an All-Pro Quarterback.

The NFL Network "Top Ten" series named Cook the #1 One Hit Wonder in NFL History.

ee also

*Other American Football League players

External links

*
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/dr_z/12/12/top.qb.seasons/ Dr.Z's 13 Greatest Single Season QB Performances]