Thursday, October 11, 2018
by Dayton Media Relations

CHICAGO – Dayton redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Cook has been named to the Watch List of the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award.  The Rice Award is given annually to the top freshman football player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Fifteen FCS freshmen were named to the initial Jerry Rice Award Watch List, Thursday. Still a young award, the Rice is distinguished, with three of the first four recipients to complete their college careers playing in the NFL: former Towson running back Terrance West, Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp and Fordham running back Chase Edmonds. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will vote on the award following the regular season.

Cook expected to spend 2018 backing up four-year starter Alex Jeske, but when Jeske suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the first quarter of UD’s season-opener, Cook was thrown into the deep end of the pool very quickly.

Oddly enough, the last Dayton player to be named to the STATS top freshman watch list was Jeske, who also came off the bench in his very first college game.

In six games this season, Cook has completed 95 of 163 passes (.583) for 1,290 yards with nine touchdown against two interceptions.  Cook is also UD’s second-leading rusher this year, with 52 carries for 274 net yards.  He averages 5.3 yards per carry and has run for three touchdowns.

In his last game, Cook completed his first 12 passes en route to a 19 for 22 passing performance to lead UD to a 53-20 win over Valparaiso.  In three quarters of action, Cook threw for 292 yards, and ran the ball five times for another 57 yards.

Cook is third in the Pioneer Football League in total offense, averaging 260.7 yards per game.  He trails two seniors – last year’s PFL Offensive Player of the Year Anthony Lawrence of San Diego and Lawson Page of Morehead State.  The next-closest freshman in the PFL in total offense per game is 120 yards behind Cook.