Cook Strives to Get Better Every Day

Oct. 29, 2015

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By DARREN MILLER
hawkeyesports.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Hawkeye football fan Drew Cook got pumped whenever the University of Iowa cracked the national rankings. Imagine how Drew Cook the Hawkeye football player feels now that Iowa sits No. 10 in the latest poll by The Associated Press.

“It’s awesome. I have always been a Hawkeye fan and whenever the Hawkeyes were ranked as a kid I was always super-pumped,” Cook said. “Now that I’m actually part of the team, it is really cool, especially in my first year here and we’re already 10th.”

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Cook is a 6-foot-5, 220 pound freshman quarterback who played on four state championship teams at Iowa City Regina High School. Head coach of the Regals is his father, Marv, a consensus All-America tight end at the University of Iowa in 1988. Marv was also a two-time All-Pro selection with the New England Patriots.

“I hear a lot of stories about my dad and the stuff he did here,” Drew said. “I don’t mind. They tell me how good he was all the time. It’s pretty cool to have your dad play here and he did pretty well.”

“It’s awesome. I have always been a Hawkeye fan and whenever the Hawkeyes were ranked as a kid I was always super-pumped. Now that I’m actually part of the team, it is really cool, especially in my first year here and we’re already 10th.”
Drew Cook
UI freshman quarterback

In high school, Cook was named first-team Class 1A all-state as a junior and senior, when Regina won 27 of 28 games. During one stretch of Cook’s prep career, the Regals won an Iowa high school state-record 56 consecutive times. From 2011-14, Cook completed 65.9 percent of his pass attempts for 5,460 yards and 56 touchdowns.

Cook was a four-year letterman in basketball, earning all-state honors. As a senior he averaged 22.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 54 percent from the field.

It didn’t take him long to transition into his college dorm room. In fact, he didn’t have to leave the city limits.

“It’s nice having the opportunity to go home whenever you want to see your family if they’re missing you or if you’re missing them,” Cook said. “I have that option if I want to go home on weekends after a game.”

Drew is making an impact on the scout team. This week he was representing Maryland quarterbacks; the Hawkeyes (7-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) host the Terrapins (2-5, 0-3) on Oct. 31 with a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff.

“I am watching and learning and doing whatever I can on the scout team to help the defense get a good look,” Cook said. “Whenever I have my opportunity on the offensive side of the ball, I take advantage of it.”

Cook says he feels stronger and more athletic after going through a few months of strength and conditioning within coach Chris Doyle‘s program. And Cook lives by a simple motto:

“Every day having the mentality that you have to get better at something and doing all the little things that will make a big difference every day,” Cook said.

A business management major, Cook has been directly admitted to the Henry B. Tippie College of Business.

“That is a big benefit for me to take advantage of,” he said.

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