Connor Cook was viewed as one of the top four quarterbacks going into the 2016 NFL draft and a borderline 1st round pick. His fall has many asking what happened?
Most believe it had to do with growing concerns surrounding Cook’s leadership. His inability to get his teammates to vote him captain in 2015 was a major red flag. However, it turns out something else contributed to the muddle. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicates it may have been none other than Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio.
Insider Buzz: NFL GMs Partially Blame MSU Coach Dantonio for Cook's Draft Slide https://t.co/zuHdT54PpH via @bleacherreport
— Jason Cole (@JasonCole62) May 3, 2016
The story goes that Dantonio’s strict conducting of team practices and the unwillingness to allow pro scouts more than a view minutes time to watch did more harm than good for his star quarterback. It forced them to go by word-of-mouth and interviews with his teammates rather than being able to watch how he conducted himself in and out of the huddle. This frustrated those in Cook’s camp, believing he was handcuffed from the beginning.
NFL teams understand that perception is reality in their sports. When a person is perceived to be something, they’re forced to believe it until they get definitive proof otherwise. Dantonio’s unwillingness to bend his rules to help out a player who won 34 games for him is rather fascinating. Was it deliberate or was he just a stickler for process and was too stubborn to change it for anybody?
Impossible to say. What is clear now is Connor Cook faces an uphill battle to become a starter in the NFL. Not only is he on a team with a starting quarterback in place with Derek Carr, he still hasn’t escaped the notion that he’s a selfish player who doesn’t understand what it means to be a leader.