Mizzou QB Brady Cook, St. Louis native, poised for greatness

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The reality is, you’d root for Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook if he was from St. Paul, Minnesota, or St. Petersburg, Florida, or even St. Vincent and the Grenadines. But because he’s from St. Louis — where you live, where the locals root for Mizzou — it just adds to the admiration.

It’s rare for Missouri’s quarterback to even be from Missouri, let alone our town, yet here we are, entering the most anticipated season in years — and not only does the guy under center like Imo’s Pizza, but his family actually owns and operates some Imo’s locations.

There is a significance, aura and weight to being a St. Louis QB for Mizzou. Cook is equipped to handle it all, cherish it all and rise because of it all (and avoid a fall).

“You can see the team gravitate towards the energy and the juice that he brings to the position,” said former Mizzou quarterback and St. Louis native Blaine Gabbert, who played 12 NFL seasons, starting 49 games. “He’s really been doing a great job, just (as I’ve been) watching from afar — and then having the chance to be back in Missouri last year with the Chiefs. Just seeing the success that he’s had, kind of working his way up, becoming better year in, year out. And the way he plays the game, it’s been a lot of fun to watch. He plays hard; he plays it the right way.”

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Cook’s quest toward Mizzou immortality begins Thursday night against Murray State. The Tigers are the nation’s No. 11 team — and of course, 12 teams make the new College Football Playoff. I can’t recall this much anticipation for a Mizzou season — with the expanded CFP; so many key players back; the momentum from fans, boosters and NIL; the (relatively speaking) favorable schedule and the fact that with Luther Burden III, Mizzou has two of America’s better football players ... and both are from St. Louis.

Being Mizzou’s quarterback was the dream for Cook, a St. Louis kid who played high school ball at Chaminade. The redheaded Red Devil arrived across state and, simply fought off competition and, amid growing pains, shooed away the boos. He enters this season unequivocally as Mizzou’s field general and leader.

From Cook’s courageous scrambles to his famous fourth-and-17 first-down pass, the quarterback electrified Columbia last season. The Tigers went 11-2, losing only to Georgia, the then-defending national champs, and LSU, who had the Heisman winner at quarterback. And Cook finished sixth in the SEC in passing yards per game (255.2).

“I would describe him as a warrior,” Burden said of Cook during Mizzou’s media day. “Somebody who you’d love and go to (battle) with. I love being around him. He’s a good person — and he’ll do anything it takes to win.”

Just how uncommon is it for Mizzou’s quarterback to also be a St. Louisan? The most recent starter is Gabbert himself (2008-10), who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook looks over to the bench during a game against Louisiana State on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.

Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch As for being a two-fer to our area — the Mizzou quarterback and a St. Louis native — Gabbert said: “You know, it’s fun — now, there’s pressure that comes with that, but ultimately, there’s always pressure playing football.

There are a lot of people that are counting on you to play at a high level, and ultimately, it makes everyone’s job a lot easier if the quarterback is playing well. So it’s a great position to be in. ...

“With Mizzou being the state school, always selfishly, for me, you want to see a kid from the state play quarterback there. ... They’re personally invested. They grew up there. They grew up watching the school. And that’s a big thing, in my opinion.”

There haven’t been many, though. Starting signal-callers from the St. Louis area are rare. Before Cook and Gabbert (Parkway West), there were the likes of 1999 starter Jimmie Dougherty (Edwardsville), 1996 split-starter Kent Skornia (St. Francis Borgia), 1986 option quarterback Ronnie Cameron (East St. Louis) and Mike Hyde (of Lindbergh) in 1981, from a list compiled by former Post-Dispatch writer Dave Matter.

But in the 1960s and ’70s, numerous locals followed in the scampering footsteps of arguably Mizzou’s greatest quarterback, Paul Christman (Maplewood-Richmond Heights), who had two top-five finishes in Heisman voting while starring for Mizzou from 1938-40.

In the 1960s, there was a pair of Garys — Gary Lane (East Alton-Wood River) from 1963-65 and Gary Kombrink (Township in Belleville) from 1966-67.

And in the 1970s, Mizzou had Chuck Roper (Brentwood) in 1970-71, John Cherry (Pattonville) in 1972-73, Steve Pisarkiewicz (McCluer North) in 1974-76 and Pete Woods (University City) from 1975-77. It was Woods who famously won at Ohio State in 1976 — which was Mizzou’s most recent win over the Buckeyes until Cook cooked them in last season’s Cotton Bowl.

“Growing up in St. Louis during the ’60s and early ’70s, I followed the Tigers during the highly successful Dan Devine era,” Woods said via email. “My father and I could travel two hours to the west and take in a game, where I would watch some of the Tiger greats — Johnny Roland, Roger Wehrli, Mel Gray and others.

“There is a much closer connection to a university that is in your backyard, compared to what I would have experienced had I gone to one of the other schools who had offered — whether that was Notre Dame, USC, Michigan or even an Ivy League school on the East Coast.

My decision to return to St. Louis after playing in the NFL was also influenced by having played locally — why wouldn’t I return to a community where I grew up and was remembered fondly for having chosen to stay home and play for my state school? I continue to reap the benefits of that choice — as I practice law in my hometown where a few still recognize me for our great victories of the ’70s.”

And who knows, perhaps people will spot Cook around town in the 2070s.

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Mizzou QB Brady Cook, St. Louis native, poised for greatness

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