It was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s only but so long you can keep a good player down before he shows you what made you view him as special in the first place. Saturday was the day Florida State RB, Dalvin Cook, reintroduced himself to the College Football world.
The yards were great but he did it with a chip on his shoulder the size of Florida. Last week he had to watch as fellow Heisman hopeful, Lamar Jackson tore the FSU defense in half with a monster performance that may have netted him the No.1 selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. But Cook was not going to take that loss lightly as he was determined to put any rumors to bed that he or his team were overrated.
On FSU’s first play from scrimmage, Cook put his name back on the ballot as he raced for a 75-yard touchdown. But he wasn’t done with that scamper. 27 more attempts and he finished with a career high of 267, short one more than his personal best last season against the same South Florida team. The Noles needed this win bad to stay in playoff contention but Cook may have just as much from personal achievement and mental aspect.
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To be hyped as one of the best coming into this season, he had to know that all eyes and defenses were locked in on the talented RB. But through three games he had only amassed 228 yards and two touchdowns. Cook was due for an explosion. With the win and the weight of the world off his shoulders, he can get back to doing what he does best, running.
At times, when a top-tier player struggles, they are often the hardest on themselves. All it takes is that one moment where everything seems to come together and the great ones will ride that wave for as long as they can. For Cook, he hopes that wave will lead him to a National Championship and the Heisman Trophy.