New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks had a successful rookie season in 2014 as the first-round selection out of Oregon State caught 53 passes for 550 yards and three touchdowns. The 5-foot-10 Cooks also isn’t afraid to ask others in the game that play his position for advice and that’s evident in a recent vlog that he did that for Grit Media.
Cooks admits in the video to reaching out to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown last season for advice after the two met at a Nike function and exchanged numbers.
“Throughout the season I would just text him, you know, ask him questions,” Cooks said. “How’d you get your (footwork) so good? How do you get in and out of your breaks so well? How do you separate from defenders so well?”
Cooks definitely recognizes that Brown, who is similar in size to him, is a giving person and one that is not afraid to pass along knowledge to younger players.
“I don’t think it was ever a burden on him when I would ask for advice or text him,” said Cooks. “He always showed excitement when he texts back or when we talk. He gives a lot of feedback. He doesn’t send back one-word answers or a short message. If I got a question, he goes into depth and answers those questions for me.”
Brown is arguably the best wide receiver that currently plays the game after registering 129 catches in 2014 for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. It’s also refreshing to see that he’s not self-centered and that’s a trait that Cooks and other young players likely admire.
“Some people might not like the idea of sharing some of their secrets, but I feel like the ones that are confident in their game and are confident in what they can do, have no problem sharing that,” said Cooks of Brown.
Cooks rookie season was cut short due to a thumb injury, so expect him to catch 90 or more balls in his second season with the Saints. You can bet that Brown will be monitoring his progresses closely as well.
