Brandin Cooks

Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers, earning consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (20th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft. After three seasons with New Orleans, Cooks played one season for the New England Patriots, two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, and three seasons for the Houston Texans before joining the Cowboys in 2023.

Early life
Cooks was born in Stockton, California, to Worth Cooks Sr. and Andrea Cooks on September 25, 1993. Worth Sr. died of a heart attack when Brandin was six years old and Cooks and his three brothers, Fred, Worth Jr., and Andre, were thereafter raised by their mother. He attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, where Cooks played high school football for the Trojans. As a sophomore, he recorded 29 receptions for 600 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior, Cooks had 46 receptions for 783 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also collecting three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. As a senior, he had 66 receptions for 1,125 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cooks was ranked by the Rivals.com recruiting network as the 26th-best wide receiver and the 240th overall prospect in his class. Cooks originally committed to play college football at the UCLA but changed to Oregon State University. In addition to football, Cooks played basketball and ran track in high school.

College career
Cooks played at Oregon State from 2011 to 2013 under head coach Mike Riley.

2011 season
Cooks made an immediate impact for Oregon State in their 3–9 season. Cooks recorded three receptions for 26 yards in the narrow 29–28 loss in his collegiate debut against Sacramento State. On October 15, against BYU, he had three receptions for 90 yards and his first collegiate receiving touchdown, which came on a 59-yard reception from quarterback Sean Mannion, in the 38–28 loss. He played in all 12 games with three starts and recorded 31 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, he returned kickoffs, averaging 22.4 yards per return on eight attempts.

2012 season
Cooks started his sophomore season with six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 10–7 victory over Wisconsin. Two weeks later, against UCLA, he had six receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown in the 27–20 victory. In the next game against Arizona, Cooks had nine receptions for 149 yards during the 38–35 victory. On October 13 against BYU, he had eight receptions for 173 yards in the 42–24 victory. Two weeks later against Washington, he had nine receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in the 20–17 loss. In the next game against Arizona State, he had six receptions for 116 yards during the 36–26 victory. Overall, Cooks had 67 receptions for 1,151 yards and five touchdowns. The combination of Cooks and Markus Wheaton created one of the most dynamic receiving duos in college football and Oregon State history. The two players combined for 158 receptions, 2,395 yards, and 16 touchdowns in the 2012 season as Oregon State improved from the previous season to a 9–4 record.

2013 season
Cooks started the 2013 season with 13 receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the 49–46 loss to Eastern Washington. In the next game against Hawaii, he had seven receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns during the 33–14 victory. The following week against Utah, Cooks recorded nine receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the 51–48 victory. The performance marked his only game as a Beaver with three receiving touchdowns. In the following game against San Diego State, Cooks had a collegiate career-high 14 receptions for 141 yards in the 34–30 victory. His 14 receptions tied a school single-game record with Mike Hass and Isaiah Hodgins. Cooks continued to perform well with nine receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado in the next game, a 44–17 victory. Cooks started October with 11 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns against Washington State in the 52–24 victory. In the following week against California, he had 13 receptions for a collegiate career-high 232 yards and a touchdown in the 49–17 victory. His 232 receiving yards were the second-most in a game in school history, behind Mike Hass's 293 against Boise State in 2004. In the next two games, against Stanford and USC, Cooks had receiving touchdowns in both games. On November 23 against Washington, he recorded 10 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in the 69–27 loss. In the regular season finale against Oregon, he had 10 receptions for 110 yards during the narrow 36–35 loss. Oregon State finished with a 6–6 record and qualified for the Hawaii Bowl. Against Boise State, he had eight receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown in the 38–23 victory.

Cooks finished the 2013 season with 128 receptions for 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards were Pac-12 Conference records while his 128 receptions shattered the school single-season record, previously held by James Rodgers and Markus Wheaton with 91 each. Cooks was held to under 100 yards only four times and exceeded 200 yards in a game twice. At the end of the season, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award and was a consensus All-American. Cooks was the second Oregon State player to win the Biletnikoff Award, the first being Mike Hass in 2005. He finished his collegiate career among the best in school history by being second in receptions, third in receiving yards, and first in receiving touchdowns. Cooks and quarterback Sean Mannion teamed up for 23 receiving touchdowns over their careers, a school record for a quarterback-receiver tandem.

On January 2, 2014, Cooks announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL draft.

In addition to football, Cooks ran track at Oregon State. He earned a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash at the 2012 UW Invitational, clocking a personal-best time of 6.81 seconds.

College awards and honors

 * Biletnikoff Award (2013)
 * Consensus All-American (2013)
 * Hawaii Bowl Champion (2013)
 * First-team All-Pac-12 (2013)
 * All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2012)
 * Pac-12 record for most receiving yards in a single season (2013)
 * 1st all-time career receiving touchdowns at Oregon State (24 touchdowns)
 * 3rd all-time career receiving yards at Oregon State (3,272 yards)
 * 2013 NCAA leader in receiving yards (1,730 yards)
 * 2013 Pac-12 leader in receiving touchdowns (16 touchdowns)
 * 2013 Pac-12 leader in receptions (128 receptions)
 * 2012 Pac-12 leader in yards per reception (17.2 yards)

2014 season
Cooks was selected by the New Orleans Saints as the 20th overall pick of the first round of the 2014 NFL draft; the Saints traded up from the 27th spot, giving their first and third-round picks to the Arizona Cardinals in return for Arizona's first-round pick, in order to get Cooks. Cooks was the highest drafted player out of Oregon State since Ken Carpenter went 13th overall in the first round of the 1950 NFL Draft. In addition, he was the highest drafted wide receiver in school history.

On May 18, 2014, the Saints signed Cooks to a four-year contract worth $8.3 million.

In his first NFL game, Cooks had seven receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown to go along with an 18-yard rush during the season-opening 37–34 overtime road loss to the Atlanta Falcons. This made Cooks the youngest player, at 20 years and 347 days, to catch a touchdown pass since Reidel Anthony caught one against the Miami Dolphins on September 28, 1997, at 20 years and 343 days. Two weeks later against the Minnesota Vikings, Cooks recorded eight receptions for 74 yards in the 20–9 victory. During a Week 5 37–31 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had a season-high nine receptions for 56 yards. Three weeks later against the Green Bay Packers, Cooks recorded six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown to go along with a four-yard rushing touchdown in the 44–23 road victory. During a Week 10 27–24 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he had five receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cooks recorded five receptions for 50 yards and a five-yard rush before leaving the eventual 27–10 loss with an injury. It was later revealed that he broke his thumb, prematurely ending his rookie season.

Cooks finished his rookie season with 53 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns to go along with seven carries for 73 yards and a touchdown in 10 games and seven starts as the Saints finished with a 7–9 record.

2015 season
Cooks began the 2015 season as the number-one wide receiver for the Saints. In the first four games of the season, he had 20 receptions for 215 yards as the team started 1–3. Cooks had his first 100-yard game of his career during the Week 5 39–17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he recorded five receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Three weeks later, Cooks had six receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns in a 52–49 victory over the New York Giants. His two touchdowns were part of a record-tying seven touchdowns thrown by Drew Brees. In the next game against the Tennessee Titans, Cooks recorded four receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown during the 34–28 overtime loss. The following week, Cooks had five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an 11-yard rush in a 47–14 loss to the Washington Redskins. During a Week 13 41–38 loss to the Carolina Panthers, he recorded six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. In Weeks 15 and 16 combined, Cooks had 15 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was relatively quiet in the regular-season against the Falcons, recording five receptions for 22 yards during the 20–17 road victory.

Cooks finished his second professional season with 84 catches for 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games and 12 starts, leading the Saints in all of those categories as they finished with a 7–9 record for the second straight year and missed the playoffs.

2016 season
Before the 2016 season, Cooks was pegged as a breakout candidate by ESPN. Cooks lived up to the pre-season hype when he had six receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns and an 11-yard rush during the narrow season-opening 35–34 loss against the Oakland Raiders. Cooks caught a 98-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to set the Saints' franchise record for the longest play. Cooks, along with Willie Snead IV and rookie Michael Thomas, finished the day with 373 receiving yards combined, the most ever by a New Orleans trio in a loss. During a Week 6 41–38 victory over the Panthers, Cooks recorded seven receptions for 173 yards, which included an 87-yard touchdown reception. In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had seven receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown during the 27–21 road loss. The following week against the Seattle Seahawks, Cooks had four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown in the 25–20 victory. During a narrow Week 10 25–23 loss to the Denver Broncos, he recorded three receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. After a Week 12 49–21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, in which Cooks was not targeted for a single pass, he voiced his frustration by saying, "Closed mouths don't get fed." During a Week 15 48–41 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Cooks had seven receptions for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns, one for 65 yards and one for 45 yards. In the next game against the Buccaneers, Cooks recorded five receptions for 98 yards during the 31–24 victory. During the regular-season finale against the Falcons in what would prove to be his final game with the Saints, Cooks had three receptions for 19 yards in the 38–32 road loss. The Saints finished with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.

Cooks finished the 2016 season catching 78 receptions for a then career-high in receiving yards with 1,173 and eight touchdowns in 16 games and 12 starts. He finished seventh in the NFL in receiving yards. Despite the fact that Cooks' targets dropped from 129 in 2015 to 117 in 2016, his 10.0 yards per target ranked sixth among NFL wide receivers.

New England Patriots
On March 10, 2017, the New England Patriots traded their 2017 first-round (used on Ryan Ramczyk) and third-round draft picks (one was originally acquired from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Jamie Collins) to the Saints for Cooks and a 2017 fourth-round draft pick. On April 29, 2017, the Patriots picked up the fifth-year option on Cooks' contract.

On September 7, 2017, Cooks made his Patriots debut against the Chiefs in the NFL Kickoff Game, recording three receptions for 88 yards during the 42–27 loss. During a Week 3 36–33 victory over the Houston Texans, Cooks had five receptions for 131 yards and scored his first two touchdowns as a Patriot, including a 25-yard game winner with 23 seconds left; after the game-winning touchdown, he scored on the ensuing two-point conversion. Two weeks later against the Buccaneers, Cooks recorded five receptions for 85 yards in the 19–14 road victory. In the next game against the New York Jets, he had six receptions for 93 yards during the 24–17 victory. The following week against the Falcons, Cooks recorded four receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown in the 23–7 victory. After a Week 9 bye, the Patriots went on the road to face the Broncos. In that game, Cooks caught six passes for 74 yards as the Patriots won 41–16. In the next game against the Raiders at Estadio Azteca, he had six receptions for 149 yards and a season long 64-yard touchdown during the 33–8 victory. The following week against the Miami Dolphins, Cooks recorded six receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown to go along with an 11-yard rush in the 35–17 victory. Through Week 12 of the 2017 season, he led all players in receptions of 40+ yards, with six. Three weeks later against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cooks had four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown in the 27–24 road victory. In the regular-season finale against the Jets, he recorded five receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown and rushed thrice for eight yards during the 26–6 victory.

Cooks finished his only season with the Patriots with 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with nine carries for 40 yards in 16 games and 15 starts. Cooks and Rob Gronkowski combined to form a 1,000-yard receiving duo for the Patriots, which was their first since 2011. Cooks finished second on the team to Gronkowski in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns on the season.

The Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 13–3 record and earned the #1-seed in the AFC. In the Divisional Round against the Titans, Cooks had three receptions for 32 yards during the 35–14 victory. During the AFC Championship Game against the Jaguars, he recorded six receptions for 100 yards in the 24–20 victory. During Super Bowl LII against the Eagles, Cooks had a 23-yard reception and had a one-yard rush, but left the eventual 41–33 loss early in the second quarter with a concussion after getting tackled by Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins. Cooks was placed on concussion protocol and took no further part in the Super Bowl.

2018 season
On April 3, 2018, the Patriots traded Cooks and a fourth-round draft pick to the Rams for a first-round pick (used on Isaiah Wynn) and a sixth-round pick. On July 17, 2018, he signed a five-year, $81 million extension with the Rams with $50.5 million guaranteed.

During a Week 2 34–0 shutout victory over the Cardinals, Cooks had seven receptions for a season-high 159 yards. Two weeks later against the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, he recorded seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 10-yard rush in the 38–31 victory. In Week 9, the Rams were set to face off against Cooks' former team, the Saints. Following his trade to the Rams, Saints' starting wide receiver Michael Thomas instigated an online feud with Cooks out of anger for his departure from New Orleans. Cooks finished the 45–35 road loss with six receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Thomas, in an effort to taunt Cooks and the Rams, would reenact Joe Horn's cellphone celebration upon scoring his final touchdown of the game to secure the Saints the lead. In the next game against the Seahawks, he had another great outing, recording 10 receptions for 100 yards to go along with a nine-yard rushing touchdown during the 36–31 victory. The following against the Chiefs, Cooks had eight receptions for 107 yards in the 54–51 victory. During one of the highest-scoring back-and-forth games in NFL history, Cooks helped convert a key first down on a 22-yard reception on the drive that put the Rams up for good. After a Week 12 bye, the Rams went on the road to face the Lions. During the 30–16 road victory, Cooks recorded four receptions for 62 yards and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season. In the process, he became the first player in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams.

Cooks finished the regular season with 80 receptions for a career-high 1,204 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 10 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and starts. The Rams finished atop the NFC West with a 13–3 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #2-seed. In the Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys, Cooks recorded four receptions for 65 yards and a five-yard rush in a 30–22 victory. During the NFC Championship Game against the Saints, he had seven receptions for 107 yards in a 26–23 overtime road victory to reach Super Bowl LIII. It was his second straight Super Bowl appearance and the Rams faced off against Cooks' former team, the Patriots. In the Super Bowl, Cooks caught eight passes for 120 yards, but the Rams lost 13–3 in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. Cooks had three chances at scoring pivotal receiving touchdowns in the game. On the first attempt, Cooks was wide open in the endzone, and the play was broken up by Jason McCourty at the end. The second was a drop by Cooks in the endzone when the Rams were trailing by seven with over four minutes left. The last occurred on the next play when Goff threw a pressured pass to Cooks that ended up being under thrown and picked off by Stephon Gilmore.

2019 season
During a Week 2 27–9 victory over his former team, the Saints, Cooks recorded three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Cleveland Browns on NBC Sunday Night Football, he had eight passes for 112 yards and had an eight-yard rush in the 20–13 road victory. The following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he recorded six passes for 71 yards in the 55–40 loss. During a narrow Week 5 30–29 road loss to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, Cooks had a 27-yard rush and a 29-yard reception before leaving the game with a head injury. Three weeks later against the Cincinnati Bengals in London, he suffered a concussion after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jessie Bates during the first quarter. The Rams went on to win 24–10 and Cooks missed the next two games due to the concussion. He returned in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, and Cooks recorded two receptions for 32 yards during the 45–6 loss on Monday Night Football. During a Week 16 34–31 road loss to the 49ers, he caught his second touchdown of the season. In the regular-season finale against the Cardinals, Cooks had three receptions for 40 yards during the 31–24 victory.

Cooks finished the 2019 season with 42 receptions for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and starts, all his lowest totals since his rookie season in 2014.

Houston Texans
On April 10, 2020, Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round draft pick were traded to the Texans in exchange for the Texans second-round draft pick, which was later used on Van Jefferson, in the 2020 NFL Draft.

2020 season
During a Week 5 30–14 victory over the Jaguars, Cooks recorded eight receptions for 161 yards and his first touchdown as a Texan. During a Week 16 37–31 loss to the Bengals, he had seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. In the regular-season finale against the Titans, he had 11 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns during the 41–38 loss.

Cooks finished the 2020 season with 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games and starts as the Texans finished with a 4–12 record. He joined Brandon Marshall as the only players in NFL history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season with four different teams.

2021 season
Cooks entered the season as a starting wide receiver for the Texans. He started the season with five receptions for a season-high 132 yards in a 37–21 victory over the Jaguars. Over the course of the season, Cooks was a very consistent option for the 3–14 Texans, totaling eight games with over five receptions, four total games with at least 100 receiving yards and five games with at least one touchdown. He finished the season as the team's leading receiver in all major statistical categories, recording a career-high 90 catches with 1,037 yards and six touchdowns. Cooks became the third player in franchise history to have consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

2022 season
On April 7, 2022, despite multiple trade rumors, Cooks signed a two-year contract extension with the Texans worth $39.6 million with $36 million guaranteed. Before Week 13, Cooks suffered a calf injury in practice and missed two games. In the regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, he had five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown during the narrow 32–31 victory. Cooks finished the 2022 season with 57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns as the Texans went 3–13–1. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards.

Dallas Cowboys
On March 19, 2023, the Texans traded Cooks to the Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2023 (#161-Nick Hampton) and a sixth-round pick in 2024. This trade made Cooks tie the NFL all-time record for most traded player held by retired running back, Eric Dickerson. In the season opener, he suffered a slight MCL sprain during the 40-0 victory over the New York Giants. He did not play in the second game against the New York Jets, while recovering from the injury. He had a slow start to the season, tallying 17 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the first eight contests. In a Week 10 victory over the New York Giants, Cooks had nine receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown. He appeared in 16 games with 15 starts, recording 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.

NFL records

 * First player in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams
 * 1,000-yard receiving season with four different teams: 4 (tied with Brandon Marshall)

Rams franchise records

 * Most games in a single postseason with at least 100 receiving yards: 2 (in 2018) (tied with Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis, Tom Fears, and Cooper Kupp)
 * Most targets in a Super Bowl: 13 (in Super Bowl LIII)

Saints franchise records

 * Longest touchdown reception: 98 yards

Personal life
Cooks is a Christian. He followed big plays in the 2016 season with a bow-and-arrow motion, referencing a Bible verse in which a boy named Ishmael used his archery skills to survive in the desert after he nearly died there without water. Cooks earned a nickname as "the Archer".

Cooks married Briannon Lepman on July 7, 2018. They have a son.

In 2020, Cooks donated $50,000 to his hometown of Stockton, California. The donation helped establish the Stockton Children's Fund, which serves local children impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.