Cook Ready For Next Level
MUNCIE – From thrilling fans with his spectacular plays on the gridiron to blowing by opponents on the track, Clayton Cook made a name for himself in his time at Wawasee High School. He helped to lead Wawasee to a 20-11 record on the turf in his three years on varsity, amassing 126 receptions, 2, 023 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns along the way.
When spring came around, Cook was even more efficient as he graduated holding multiple school records and topped his senior campaign with a state championship in the 110 hurdles. All of this while accumulating a 3.4 GPA. Yes, Cook was a very special athlete to watch for those in the Wawasee community and this fall he will start a new journey in the Ball State community where he has signed on to continue his football career.
“Ball State was my first and only offer for football,” said Cook. “The recruiting process was very smooth and they really made me feel welcome. It started with a phone call and then obviously led to some visits, they seemed very interested from the beginning.”
The idea of Cook only grabbing one offer might seem puzzling to some but that’s exactly why Cardinal head coach Pete Lembo feels he and his staff struck gold in Cook’s recruitment.
“We think Clayton is one of the best kept secrets in the state of Indiana,” Lembo said with confidence. “He was a lesser recruited player, in terms of offers, but since I came here four years ago we have done a great job at getting guys from smaller schools, like Clayton, that are willing to work hard and develop them into very productive players for us. Clayton is already here working with us in our Summer Bridge program and getting to know his teammates, it just shows the commitment he has.”
“We pride ourselves on being thorough in recruiting this state,” continued Lembo. “Indiana coaches have been fun to work with. When you get into the Bremens and Wawasees of the world you start to find guys under the radar. Then you build up those relationships with the coaches and players and start to find out if those players are a good fit for your program and that’s what we felt about Clayton.”
Cook has been working down in Muncie since June and has already noticed the change from high school to college athletics.
“The pace is much faster. We have very little time in between drills to rest.” Cook remarked. “We’re constantly hustling, there is a lot more running involved and the lifting is paced way faster than in high school.”
But hustling is no foreign element to Cook, something Lembo noticed right away.
“One thing we really liked about him coming out of a smaller program was his versatility,” Lembo said. “He was more than just a receiver for Wawasee. He returned kicks, played defense and even ran some wildcat formations. He is fast, fearless and has good hands. He is obviously a great all-around athlete. He had a break-out year on the track, which may have surprised some people but it didn’t surprise us.”
And making that call between football and track was never an easy one for Cook.
“It was a very tough decision,” recalled Cook. “I was offered and accepted for football before track even started, if I would have waited then I can’t imagine how much tougher the decision would have been. Giving up track has really been the hardest thing to adjust to.”
Ball State does not have a mens track team, but that leaves Cook more time to focus on football. Though it is unknown whether or not Cook will receive a redshirt this fall to get an extra year of development, it is clear that he will be given a shot to prove himself.
“It’s going to be fun to see Clayton during the preseason and find out what he can bring to the table, because he has the talent,” Lembo said with anticipation.
“He in very mild-mannered off the field but an intense competitor on the field. He has an excellent work ethic. We have an experienced group of receivers coming back, there is certainly no empty closet at the position. That being said, you want to play the best people, sometimes that’s freshmen.
“We’re anxious to see what he can do.”