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| No. 12 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1946-11-20)November 20, 1946 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | January 27, 2012(2012-01-27) (aged 65) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Chillicothe | ||||||||
| College: | Cincinnati | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1969: 1st round, 5th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Gregory Lynn Cook (November 20, 1946 – January 27, 2012) was anAmerican football quarterback who played two professional seasons, in theAmerican Football League (AFL) and later theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUniversity of Cincinnati and was selected 5th overall in the1969 NFL/AFL draft. Once considered a rising star for theCincinnati Bengals, he had his pro career prematurely ended by recurring shoulder troubles.
In 2007,NFL Films named Cook as the number one greatest NFL "one-shot wonder" of all time, describing him as one of the biggest "what-ifs" in league history, in the seventh installment of its programNFL Top 10.
Cook lived most of his life inChillicothe, Ohio, where he playedbaseball,basketball and football atChillicothe High School.
He played collegiately atCincinnati,[1] once throwing for 554 yards in a game. He was drafted by theCincinnati Bengals in the first round of the1969 NFL/AFL Draft after Bengals coach and founderPaul Brown saw Cook's performance in the Bearcats' come-from-behind, 23–21 victory againstMiami University inBo Schembechler's last game before he left to coach at theUniversity of Michigan. Brown had attended the game, but left when the Miami Redskins' lead reached 21–6. "That quarterback. That's our draft choice," said Brown after seeing film of Cook's rallying performance.
In 1969, the Bengals releasedJohn Stofa, the starting signal caller for much of the team's inaugural season, and named Cook as the starting quarterback. His season started spectacularly, as he led 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 by linebackerJim Lynch and missed the next three games.[2][3] Possibly due to the limited medical technology at the time, his tornrotator cuff went undiagnosed.
Despite this, Cook went on to pass for 1,854 yards and led the Bengals to wins over the Chiefs and theOakland Raiders, two of the three best teams in the AFL. His 9.411 yards per pass attempt (YPA) and 17.5 yard per completion are rookie records that still stand; Cook's 9.41 YPA remains a Bengals franchise record.[3] Cook wasUPI's choice for AFL Rookie of the year.
Cook recalled, "I tookcortisone 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."[4]
The rotator cuff began deteriorating after the season; during surgery, it was revealed that Cook also had a partially detachedbiceps muscle.[2] After three operations proved futile, he retired. Cook saw action in one game during a 1973 comeback attempt, but he retired permanently after.[2] TheNFL NetworkNFL Top Ten series named Cook the #1 One Shot Wonder in NFL history.[5]
FormerNew York Jets quarterbackChad Pennington, who suffered two tears to his rotator cuff and underwent as many surgeries to repair it,[6] was often compared to Cook because their injuries were so similar. Cook's injury was also similar to one suffered byNew Orleans Saints quarterbackDrew Brees, who had surgery on his rotator cuff after the 2005–06 season.[7]
Cook finished his career with 1,865 passing yards with an average of 17.4 yards per completion. He threw 15 touchdowns in his career and 11 interceptions.
Following retirement, Cook lived in Cincinnati, and worked withUnited Parcel Service and with Worksite Information Network as amotivational speaker for laborunions. He was an art major at the University of Cincinnati, and continued to paint.[5] Cook had works on display in theOhio Governor's Mansion. Cook did some color commentary of University of Cincinnati football broadcasts in the mid-1980s.
Cook died on January 27, 2012, shortly after being admitted toThe Christ Hospital, a Cincinnati-area hospital, withpneumonia.[8]
| Preceded by | American Football League Rookie of the Year 1969 withCarl Garrett | NFL merged with AFL |
