Brady Cook hosts first youth football camp, embraces ‘full circle’ moment
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou's Brady Cook officially held his first youth football camp on Sunday afternoon. 175 people registered to participate in the Brady Cook Youth Football Camp, powered by TruEdge Sports, at Rock Bridge High School, which gave all the young athletes the opportunity to compete in football drills and learn from the Cotton Bowl champion quarterback.
"Doing a camp like this has been something I've always wanted to do, and I feel like it's just another one of those full circle moments. I came to camps similar to this growing up, and that's what I told them, 'I've been in your guy's shoes. I've been to camps like these'," Cook said. "It's just so cool to be on the other end."
You can watch the full interview with Cook in the video player below.
Cook shared that while growing up in St. Louis, he attended a youth football camp hosted by former Mizzou wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and remembered being 'mesmerized' by the experience. By launching his first camp, the MU senior hoped to give all the athletes who participated in Sunday's action the same experience and give back to the next generation of football players.
"I play this sport in front of thousands and thousands every single week, and naturally, that gives me a platform to do stuff like this. If I wasn't going to do stuff like this, if I wasn't going to hold camps and give back, I feel like it would be a waste. It would be a waste of what I've built and what I've been able to accomplish, so I'm really just trying to give back as much as possible," Cook said.
While taking one-on-one photos with each athlete and leading them through football training, Cook described the feeling of holding his first camp as a 'dream' and hoped he could inspire the young camp participants to believe they can accomplish their own goals.
"I never would've thought I'd be holding my own camp here as the quarterback of Missouri. It's something I've dreamed about, but I never really believed it," Cook said. "If I can change that and instill a belief in them that they could do something like this and flip that script, that's all I can ask for today."
