Bryon Cook, a 22 year old Defensive Back turned Wide Receiver, is looking for the next opportunity after a stand out career at Baldwin Wallace.

Cook was an under the radar recruit coming out of High School. As a two way athlete at Tallmadge High School in Akron, Ohio, his best season consisted of 27 receptions for 450 yards and 5 Touchdowns. He also had 4 interceptions in his career and was the team’s second leading Wide Receiver in yards and touchdowns. Despite his success, he was only recruited by Baldwin Wallace and Dayton as a Cornerback.

In his first two years at Baldwin Wallace, Cook played on the defensive side of the ball. He made the Varsity squad as a Freshman and was a starter his Sophomore season. Heading into his Junior year, he started the transition to Wide Receiver. “The transition from Cornerback to Wide Receiver was a bit rocky. It took me a while to adjust to catching the ball and the route running, but I always could rely on my mind and knowledge because I knew the mind of a Defensive Back,” said Cook. He had to put in double the amount of work, as he only had one summer to make the switch.

Having the mind of a Defensive Back ultimately gave him an advantage. Cook had immediate success and ended up starting every game he played in during his final two years at Baldwin Wallace. During this time, he led the team in yards, touchdowns, yards per catch, and receptions. He was also named the team’s most outstanding Wide Receiver and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 7-3 record as a Junior. In the 11 games he played, he recorded 37 receptions for 553 yards and 8 touchdowns.

On the field, at 6’2″ and 195 pounds, Cook was known for his quickness and deep threat ability, as he scored most of his touchdowns from 30 plus yards and on screen plays. This warranted drawing double teams and attention. “I was the playmaker, so they relied on my hands and threw it to me when we needed a spark,” Cook said. This proved to be true, as his biggest plays came against top teams like Mount Union and Ohio Northern.

Performing the way Cook did in the Ohio Athletic Conference is a strong resume builder due to the fact that the OAC is arguably the best Division 3 Conference in the Nation. The OAC consistently has teams ranked in the top 25 and have won numerous National Championships. “I always studied and worked hard with the thought that teams like JCU, Mount, and Heidelberg were working just as hard. I never wanted to get outworked, so I pushed myself and tried to set an example for my teammates so we could compete hard and beat those teams,” said Cook.

Now that Cook’s college career is over, his goal is to play at the next level. Going into his third year of learning the Wide Receiver position, he has been perfecting his craft so he can pursue that goal and make it a reality.