Connor Cook and the Construction of an Unlikely Superstar

DALLAS — Not much was known about the quarterback entering the game. Thrown into the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in 2012, there was Connor Cook.

The collective response when the redshirt freshman took the field against TCU—even from those who knew the young man—was that of genuine astonishment. Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun remembers the moment well.

“Connor? Connor is playing? The goofy quarterback we have is playing? It’s amazing to see how he switches it once he gets on the field,” Calhoun said. “He’s very focused and passionate about the game. It’s amazing to see how he’s grown over the years.”

In a sport so set in its ways, few stars emerge out of nowhere. They shine bright at a young age and are celebrated as such. You can see them coming. College football loves these stars and highlights them accordingly early on.

The good ones rarely sneak up on us these days; these players are not often discovered accidentally in a stuffy, nearly empty high school gym. That’s where Cook’s journey begins.

Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi had visited Walsh Jesuit High School in Stow, Ohio, to speak with another player—talented linebacker Cameron Ontko, Cook’s teammate—who eventually signed with Wisconsin. Narduzzi just so happened to see the team’s sophomore quarterback in the weight room. He asked if Cook would throw a few passes.

“We were in a basketball gym,” Cook recalled. “It was out routes and slants. I couldn’t even air it out.”

But Narduzzi left intrigued. So much so that he went back to East Lansing and told head coach Mark Dantonio about a quarterback they had to have.

Cook’s junior year didn’t go as planned; he performed adequately but was not the superstar many expected. Still, Narduzzi didn’t budge on his conviction. He wanted the kid who had received no real major offers. So he wrote him frequently.

“I threw three picks in a game,” Cook said. “And I am still getting these letters from him.”

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Eventually, Narduzzi offered Cook a scholarship. He wasn’t bothered by Cook’s just-average junior year. He was so excited to have Cook and his family on campus that he presented the offer while Cook’s father was still in the bathroom.

Cook waited for the flood of interest to follow before making his decision, although that never happened. It made the decision easy, and at the time, the quarterback was thrilled about a free education. Michigan State had found its star by accident.

“When something like that happens, you take advantage of it,” Cook said. “I was able to go there and work my tail off. I wanted to try to get just a little bit better each and every year, and put myself in a position like this.”

That position is now one of great power. Cook has won two Big Ten championships. He’s won a Rose Bowl. He’s won a Cotton Bowl.

He passed up the NFL, suffered what appeared to be a serious shoulder injury late in the season, played through the pain—is still playing through the pain, regardless of what he says—and led his team to the playoff.

He transformed the perception of Michigan State, winning 34 of the 38 games he’s started. Think about that for a moment. Like the player, that statistic sneaked up on us.

It didn’t look like this at the beginning—not even after he arrived. The goofy freshman tossed into a bowl game didn't look like a playoff quarterback then. But slowly, he grew into something more, even if some things never changed. 

“Goofy” is a term multiple teammates used to describe Cook’s character. He’s far looser behind the scenes with his teammates than he is out in the open. In front of the microphone, he doesn’t come off as goofy. And although he has this lighter side, it comes with ideal balance.

“Pressure isn’t really a pressure situation for him,” Calhoun said of Cook. “He’s comfortable being uncomfortable. That makes for a great quarterback and a great teammate.”

He doesn’t give off the superstar vibe, either. He’s had enough practice over the years, so he's by no means out of place. But there is an edge to him. It’s a good edge—a natural edge.

Nothing about him comes off manufactured. Others have gone out of their way to argue otherwise.

The anonymous NFL draft scout—one of this world’s most covert and unwelcomed beasts—has spoken about a quarterback who will receive ample consideration from many NFL teams come spring.

“Physically, he's pretty good,” a scout told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He can make all the throws and he's got some strength to him and he can run. It's all the other stuff with him. How much does he really like ball? How much is he going to work at it? He likes being a celebrity.”

Life has indeed changed for Cook over the past few years. When he goes to class these days, students regularly stop him for pictures or autographs. Despite arriving a few years ago without much fanfare, he now always commands an audience.

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And he likes it, too. He’s admitted as much. He’s indeed a celebrity now, which is something he does not shy away from. He embraces it, but not for its assumed value.

This newfound status has allowed Cook to meet fans like Ryan Smigiel and Miranda McCoy. Smigiel has cancer; McCoy is paralyzed after a car accident. Cook has forged a bond with both. With the most important game of his life approaching, he made a point to acknowledge each of them.

“They wouldn’t care who I was if I didn’t play football,” Cook said. “Not in a bad way. To be able to inspire them, talk to them and develop a relationship with them just by playing football and being in the spotlight is one of the reasons why I like being in this situation. To impact younger people or people who are struggling.”

His rise to this position has not been seamless. Even now, after all of the touchdowns, accolades and victories, Cook still probably isn’t given the appropriate recognition as a football player.

LM Otero/Associated Press

Having arrived lacking the star power of most program-shaping quarterbacks, he’s grown into one of the nation’s elite players. His experiences and early successes have paved the way for something more—a chance to end an already unbelievable college career with a national championship. This is no longer a secret.

“He is by far the best quarterback we played,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said. “There is not a defense we can put out there he hasn’t seen. There is not a throw that he can’t make. And he makes decisions so quick. The guy is really impressive. I think he’s going to be an unbelievable pro.”

The state of his right shoulder may have a say in what happens next. We may not know just how hurt his arm is (or was) until after his college career. Truthfully, we may never know. With millions of dollars almost within his grasp, Cook has avoided the topic at all costs.

“One hundred percent," Cook said of his shoulder earlier in the week. “You got it.”

End transmission. The Cotton Bowl’s biggest storyline was defused from the onset. Regardless of the actual percentage, it will be up to Cook to move the ball against a defense that is loaded with star players—players who were celebrated much earlier than he was.

Cook has arrived by taking a path rarely traveled. In turn, he’s viewed differently, too. On Thursday night, you won't know the difference.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.