Cook signs with Buccaneers as free agent
4/30/2022 10:31:00 PM | Football
Stop us if you've heard this one before.
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A small-town kid with big dreams walks on to play football at the University of Montana and not only makes the team, he becomes a star and moves on to play professionally at the next level.
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It's a tried and true Montana success story, but it's never been told quite like this.
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After growing up playing quarterback at Butte High School and eventually at the NAIA level, Dylan Cook took his chances, walked on for the Grizzlies, made the unusual move to the offensive line, and became the most unlikely of NFL prospects.
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The dream of playing at the next level, no matter the position, became a reality Saturday when Cook signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft.
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And in typical Butte fashion, he was short on words, wanting to let the actions do the talking.
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"Signing feels great, but now the real work begins," he told GoGriz.com.
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After transferring to Montana to play tackle from Montana Northern, where he played quarterback, he went on to make 27 appearances and 23 starts for the Griz, winning the starting job as a junior.
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The 6-foot-6 ½-inch, 308-pound tackle prepared for draft day with an appearance at the College Gridiron Showcase event in Texas over the winter. He also had an outstanding pro day, with an impressive 32-inch vertical, 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press, 5.06 seconds in the 40, 4.8 seconds in the shuttle, and 7.6 seconds in the three-cone drill. His 32-inch vertical would have been a top-five result at the NFL combine.
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Not only did Cook excel on the field, he was a star in the classroom as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the Academic Heisman, and was named to the NFF's Hampshire Honors Society as well for his academic performance.
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He now prepares to head to Tampa, where he will block for one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game in Tom Brady on an offensive line that helped lead the Buccaneers to a 2021 Super Bowl Championship.
Â
He joins a long line of former Grizzly walk-ons to earn a shot at NFL dreams, including former All-Pro Marc Mariani from Havre and Colt Anderson, also a native of Butte.
Â
Â
A small-town kid with big dreams walks on to play football at the University of Montana and not only makes the team, he becomes a star and moves on to play professionally at the next level.
Â
It's a tried and true Montana success story, but it's never been told quite like this.
Â
After growing up playing quarterback at Butte High School and eventually at the NAIA level, Dylan Cook took his chances, walked on for the Grizzlies, made the unusual move to the offensive line, and became the most unlikely of NFL prospects.
Â
The dream of playing at the next level, no matter the position, became a reality Saturday when Cook signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft.
Â
And in typical Butte fashion, he was short on words, wanting to let the actions do the talking.
Â
"Signing feels great, but now the real work begins," he told GoGriz.com.
Â
After transferring to Montana to play tackle from Montana Northern, where he played quarterback, he went on to make 27 appearances and 23 starts for the Griz, winning the starting job as a junior.
Â
The 6-foot-6 ½-inch, 308-pound tackle prepared for draft day with an appearance at the College Gridiron Showcase event in Texas over the winter. He also had an outstanding pro day, with an impressive 32-inch vertical, 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press, 5.06 seconds in the 40, 4.8 seconds in the shuttle, and 7.6 seconds in the three-cone drill. His 32-inch vertical would have been a top-five result at the NFL combine.
Â
Not only did Cook excel on the field, he was a star in the classroom as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the Academic Heisman, and was named to the NFF's Hampshire Honors Society as well for his academic performance.
Â
He now prepares to head to Tampa, where he will block for one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game in Tom Brady on an offensive line that helped lead the Buccaneers to a 2021 Super Bowl Championship.
Â
He joins a long line of former Grizzly walk-ons to earn a shot at NFL dreams, including former All-Pro Marc Mariani from Havre and Colt Anderson, also a native of Butte.
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Players Mentioned
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