James Cook addresses Georgia making NFL draft history

Georgia capped off a special season with a weekend full of players being selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Winning the national championship in January, when the calendar turned to late April, 15 players heard their names called in Las Vegas. No college program has had more in one draft, breaking the record from 2004 Ohio State and 2020 LSU, both of which had 14.

Running back James Cook addressed the Georgia program making history, calling it a “special” moment for everyone involved. He said after everyone came up at the same time through their recruiting classes, all of the hard work they put in together over the past year finally paid off.

“It’s special,” Cook said. “The people you came in because all of the guys who I was with, that we won a national championship with, we all came in together. That’s special. To come in with the guys that you initially did it with and we won a national championship. That’s something we’ve been bragging about. We competed in the spring, in the summer. Winter workouts, we grinded. It came to life today.”

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Cook was picked by the Buffalo Bills with the 63rd overall pick in the second round. He is coming off a top season with the Bulldogs, rushing for 728 yards and seven touchdowns on 113 carries. As Cook goes through his first season in the NFL, there will be no shortage of former teammates on opposing teams. There will be plenty of postgame photos with Georgia players.

James Cook discusses two-back system at Georgia

Cook put together quite a career at Georgia, finishing as the Bulldogs’ No. 2-leading rusher last season. The Bulldogs won the national title — and he discussed the value of playing for a national championship coach in Kirby Smart as he heads to the NFL.

Alongside Zamir White, he and cook formed quite a one-two punch in the Bulldogs backfield last year, and that two-back system is something Cook said helped get him ready for the NFL.

“We run a two-back system at Georgia, so it kind of helps you save your body,” Cook said during his introductory press conference. “Whenever your opportunities call, you’ve got to take advantage of it. And that’s what I did. I feel like they did a good job of rotating and keeping our bodies fresh so it won’t be banged up. I don’t have less mileage on me.”

But playing for Smart made him better off the field, as well, he said. Smart had high expectations for his players, and Cook said they had to be at their best both on and off the field. That’s why he thinks it’ll be an easy transition to the professional level.

“It was a big step,” Cook said of the standards Smart set. “It makes you a man. Kirby, he’s an awesome coach. He wants nothing but the best, and he pushed us to the limit each and every day to be great people on and off the field.”