Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia’s Cam Cook is racking up the preseason accolades as the football season rapidly approaches, but being the featured back wasn’t always his role.
As a freshman playing varsity football in high school, Cook lined up at fullback, where his primary responsibility wasn’t carrying the football. It was blocking.
“Well, I’d say I was a freshman playing on varsity,” he said. “So, I was just going in blocking, pass pro. If it was something to do with speed, they’ll put me out in the slot and change the formation up, but it was mostly just blocking as a freshman.”
Years later, that experience has given the senior a different perspective as he prepares for his first season with the Mountaineers.
After transferring from Jacksonville State, where he led the FBS in rushing with 1,659 yards on 295 carries, Cook is expected to be WVU’s premier running back. He knows the responsibilities that come with that role, but his time at fullback taught him that success in the running game is rarely about one player.
“It definitely helped me understand like how hard that block is for the fullback,” he said. “And so as a running back you can do stuff where you can run the ball a certain way to make his block easier. So, just being able to help each other out means a lot.”
That mentality will be valuable for the Mountaineers’ offense.
Despite being a newcomer on the roster, the Round Rock, Texas native doesn’t believe WVU’s offense is too different from that at Jacksonville State.
“I wouldn’t say it’s identical, but it’s definitely similar,” he said. “So, it wasn’t hard for me to adjust. Some similar plays. The play style is fast. So, I was already kind of used to it already.”
The familiarity with the offense was one factor in Cook’s decision to become a Mountaineer. Another was the chance to play in an environment that suits how he wants to play.
“One of the things that sold me the most was how hard everybody’s working here,” he said. “It’s not, we going if we’re going to run the ball, then it’s hard edge. We’re going to be tough. Everybody’s going to be tough. Everybody wants to win. Everybody’s going to do whatever they can to win. We straining through fall camp. We strain through winter workouts, and you can tell like the environment here is different. So, I think that that meant a lot.”
Cook believed WVU was a place that could help him reach his ultimate goal.
“I’m really trying to be somewhere where I know I can advance my place, like better myself to get to the next level,” he said. “So, this was being able to do that with West Virginia, I felt like that was like the best like the best place for me to be able to do that.”
Now, the next step is turning that opportunity into production.
After carrying the ball 295 times at Jacksonville State, the Stony Point High School alum had a heavy workload and he knows the physical demands that come with being a featured back. Cook knows that the preseason is an important part of preparing for Saturdays.
“It’s not like I’m withholding myself from anything,” he said. “I’m going to go practice however I need to practice. I think a running back needs to get a decent amount of hits before the season to know his body could be ready. So, just being ready to take that amount of hits.”
At the same time, Cook knows staying healthy will be just as important as taking the hits and has made recovery a priority.
“I try to stay in the training room, just get as much recovery as I need,” he said. “I haven’t really had to deal with anything so far, but I’ll just stay doing whatever I can to stay healthy. Getting the ice tubs, cryo, light red light therapy. Just whatever I could do to keep my body healthy from my little knick-knacks.”
Despite entering the season with expectations surrounding his production, Cook isn’t focused on his stats but on helping WVU win.
“I just want to do whatever that I can help us win as a group, and I feel like it’ll come along,” he said. “If I’m trying my hardest, then that stuff probably happens on its own.”
That mentality has followed Cook from his early days as a young fullback doing the dirty work to his current role and he goes out and attacks every day.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
