Dalvin James Cook, born on August 10, 1995, is an American football running back who gained prominence during his college football career at Florida State University. Cook's college years saw him play for the Florida State Seminoles under head coach Jimbo Fisher from 2014 to 2016. In his freshman season, Cook contributed both as a rusher and receiver out of the backfield. Despite sharing touches, Cook finished the season with 1,008 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 22 receptions, and 203 receiving yards.
In the subsequent years, one of Cook's standout performances included setting a career-high with 177 rushing yards in the 2014 ACC Championship Game and breaking Florida State's career rushing record previously held by Warrick Dunn.
Approaching his senior year at Florida State University, Cook made a name for himself as one of the top running backs in the nation entering the 2017 NFL Draft. In the NFL Draft, Cook was selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the 41st overall pick in the second round of the 2017 draft. He made an immediate impact in his rookie season, setting a Vikings' rookie debut rushing record with 127 yards in his first game. Unfortunately, his rookie year was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 4.
Despite facing a season ending injury the year prior, Cook made a strong comeback in the 2018 season, battling through injuries. It was in the 2019 season that Cook had a breakout year, establishing himself as one of the top running backs in the NFL. Despite missing two games due to injury, he amassed 1,135 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and 53 receptions for 519 receiving yards and played a critical role in leading the Vikings to the playoffs.
Following the 2020 season, Cook signed a contract extension with the Vikings. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Vikings released Cook in June 2023, making him a free agent.
Despite this setback, Cook's is expected to attract interest from other NFL teams.
