Skip to main content

NFL Receiver Fixes Eyes on Jesus

Share This article

The Los Angeles Rams Brandin Cooks blisters NFL secondaries with elite speed, quickness and productivity! The Oregon State record-setting receiver and All-American also learned to dodge grief, after losing his dad to a heart attack as a six year-old. Determined, competitive and focused, Brandin takes aim, putting opponents to flight in the game he plays and the life he lives!

Question: “First player in NFL history to do -- back to back to back thousand yard seasons with three different teams – Saints, Patriots, Rams are all winning programs!  How has that helped shape you?”

Brandin Cooks: “You know, helped me just develop that -- that mental toughness!  Going from different teams, you know with the Saints and New England. Built me to come here at the Rams and continue to just do that but at the same time I’ve also been blessed with great coaches, great quarterbacks! It’s not all on my doing but you know the guys that surround me to help me, you know, be successful!”

Question: “If you had to defend Brandin Cooks -- give me a scouting report.”

Brandin Cooks: “That’s a good question! It’s really scouting our team! And how Coach McVay sets us up for success and puts us in position to succeed. And having a great coach like that it’d be pretty tough to scout myself or just other guys in general just ‘cuz its always so different. I can’t give you too much (laughter), ‘cuz you know, just in case our viewers are my defenders!”

Question: “Defense is always about neutralizing that opponent (yeah!). How critical speed to give you control?”

Brandin Cooks: “It is very critical especially in my position and my type of play - being able to have speed you should be able to sometime blow the top off to help my teammates get open. You know, sometimes those are those types of games that have to be had! So, if I can take the top off and draw defenders near me to open up other guys, I think that’s very important!”

Question: “You lost your dad when you were six. How did you find fathering while growing up?”

Brandin Cooks: “I have such great friends with dads around me, you know like my track coach and my football coaches. And I think it’s one of those things that I always pick pieces from different families and people that had a huge impact in my life, whether it’s coaches or my best friend’s parents so it’s just one of his things that had to be dynamic -- but then my mom also played a father role as well.”

Question: “Brandin how have you turned adversity around?”

Brandin Cooks: “I always try to look the brighter side and find joy, whether it’s like losing my father when I was young. I think its one of those things, anytime you can try your hardest to find joy in the negative, I think you always come out on a positive … and that’s just been my mindset.”

Question: “And they called you “Sonic Boom” in Pop Warner? But you didn’t hang on to it! But you’ve since been christened, “The Archer”! Your celebration in the end zones at one point was the arrow to the sky. Why does that resonate with you?”

Brandin Cooks:  “Oh it resonates with me because its one of my favorite verses in the Bible -- Psalm 144, six, ‘Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them!” So fitting with what I do!  Also wanted to glorify God in a different way. A lot of people cross their chest. I just want to come up with a unique way to glorify God with the gift that He’s given me.”

Question: “They say that Ishmael lived for the hunt! So Brandon, what is in your hunt, what are you hunting for in this journey?”

Brandin Cooks: “Encourage others around me! You know, one of my favorite prayers before the game is -- make people miss me and see Him in me! If at least one soul is saved through the way that I play, that’s my goal in life is just to be the best I can be for others around me, although we all know no one is perfect but that’s why His grace is so sufficient in my life and where He’s brought me from, where He’s taking me and where He has me now! It’s so special, I just want to give Him that glory.”

Question: “How have you made your Christ-following contagious, enthusiastic, genuine?”

Brandin Cooks: “I think just being me and really taking advantage of opportunities when they come up and not trying to force them. I think that, you know, being in the locker room filled with so many different personalities, the last thing guys want is people come forcing it to them! And I think if people have questions, great! And also sparking those conversations as well! Being who I am and also letting people know that I’m not perfect and that I have a lot of problems -- I think that’s just the best way to go about it.”

Question: “Most recently, something that He’s sustaining you with, as encouragement.”

Brandin Cooks:  “That’s a great one! I’d have to say focus. How Peter, when he was on a boat and he had his eyes fixed on Jesus he was performing miracles, you know, He walked on water at a point. But when he got distracted from all the outside noise and everything that was going around him and didn’t keep his eye fixed on Jesus -- you know he sank! Consistently on my mind is keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, no matter what’s going on in life.”

Share This article

About The Author

Tom Buehring
Tom
Buehring

Tom currently travels as a National Sports Correspondent for The 700 Club and CBN News. He engages household sports names to consider the faith they’ve discovered within their own unique journey. He has over 30 years of experience as a TV sports anchor, show host, reporter and producer, working commercially at stations in Seattle, Tampa, Nashville and Fayetteville where he developed, launched and hosted numerous nightly and weekly shows and prime-time specials. Prior to his TV market hopping, Tom proposed and built an academic/intern television broadcast program at the University of North