Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke has been given the opportunity to play a major role in the team’s quest to bring the first Lombardi trophy, to the city on the St. John’s River. Cooke will not do this with speed or his arm, but with the precision of his right leg.
Who is Logan Cooke?
Cooke grew up in a small city of Columbia, Mississippi, situated on the banks of the Pearl River. In February 2014, Cooke disappointed high-profile schools such as Tennessee and LSU when he signed his letter of intent with Mississippi State. While a Bulldog, Cooke excelled as his position in arguably the top collegiate conference gaining accolades and recognition.
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How did the rookie win the job?
In May 2018, the Jaguars selected Cooke in the 4th Round of the NFL draft, replacing Brad Nortman (who was released in April). During training camp and the preseason, Cooke impressed coaches with his work ethic and toughness, including throwing his 6’ 5” 230 pound frame around on a tackle in a preseason game in Tampa.
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But Cooke wasn’t brought in to make tackles, he was brought in to improve a special teams unit that had it’s struggles in 2017. Some of these struggles included a net average of under 39 yards per punt and a league leading nine touchbacks.
Why is Cooke’s job so important?
Schematically for both the offense and defense, there is a huge difference between starting a drive at the five yard line as opposed to the 20. As a punter, when the opportunity arises to pin the opposing team inside the 20 yard, the punter must execute and put the top defense in the NFL in favorable situations. During the first two games, Cooke has placed six out of ten punts inside the 20 yard line without one touchback. This has allowed the talented Jaguars defense to take the field with yards of green grass behind them.
If Cooke can continue this output, along with increasing his average, the Jaguars can expect the rewards they are seeking during the 2018 campaign.