Ryan Cook

Games and Starts

38 games/33 starts

Professional Biography

Made the transition from center in college to RT in the NFL...Helped the 2007 Vikings rank #1 in the NFL in rushing and set a team record with 2,634 yards, only the 2nd time in team history leading the NFL in rushing…Was the 2nd C drafted in 2006 after Nick Mangold (#29 by N.Y. Jets) when he was selected in the 2nd round (#51 overall)...The last C drafted as high by the Vikings was Dave Huffman, the #43 choice from Notre Dame in 1979.

NFL History

2008 Regular starter at RT opened 14 regular season games and 1st career playoff game in Wild Card contest vs. Philadelphia (1/4/09)...Paved the way for Adrian Peterson to become the 1st Vikings RB to lead the NFL in rushing and set new team record with 1,760 yards...Helped Peterson set Vikings record by breaking the 100-yard mark 10 times...Helped Vikings win NFC North title and ranked 5th in the NFL in rushing offense.

2007 Started all 16 games for the #1-ranked rushing offense in the NFL...Helped Vikings establish team record with 2,634 rushing yards as a team and rank #1 in the NFL for only the 2nd time in team history...Cleared the way for Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor to set team record for rushing yards by a tandem with 2,185 yards...Helped Peterson rank 2nd in the NFL with 1,341 rushing yards and set a Vikings rookie record...Blocked for Peterson’s NFL-record 296 rushing yards vs. San Diego (11/4) and his 224-yard day at Chicago (10/14), the only rookie in NFL history with 2 games of 200+ rushing yards in a season... Paved the way for Peterson (6) and Taylor (2) to tie a team record with 8 games rushing for 100+ yards...Vikings set a team record with 378 rushing yards vs. San Diego (11/4)...Helped the Vikings offense jump 10 spots from #23 in 2006 to #13 in 2007...Joined Matt Birk, Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinnie as linemen who started all 16 games.

2006 Played in 6 games on the season and started the final 3 games at RT…Played in his 1st NFL game when he rotated at RT with Mike Rosenthal vs. Arizona (11/26) as the Vikings snapped a 4-game losing streak…Shared time at RT with Rosenthal at Chicago (12/3)…Took the majority of the snaps at Detroit (12/10) after rotating into the game…Started his 1st career game when he opened at RT vs. NY Jets (12/17)…Started at RT at Green Bay (12/21) and in season finale vs. St. Louis (12/31)…Inactive for 10 games.

College Information

COLLEGE Former walk-on is a classic success story due to hard work and attitude...Moved into starting lineup as a redshirt freshman and dominated the interior of the line for the next 3 seasons...Played in 49 career games and started the final 44 straight...Named 1st-Team All-Mountain West Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior, the only New Mexico C to earn 3 honors...Tabbed as a 3rd-team All-America by The NFL Draft Report after junior season...Joined WR Hank Baskett representing UNM at the Senior Bowl, the only time in school history with 2 Lobos in the all-star game...Part of the rebuilding of the New Mexico football program under head coach Rocky Long, going 28-22 from 2002-05 and never enduring a losing season...The Lobos were 3-9 in Long’s 1st season in 1998 and with Cook at C helped lead the team to 3 consecutive bowl appearances, facing UCLA in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl and Navy in the 2004 Emerald Bowl...Helped pave the way for RB DonTrell Moore to set the UNM career rushing mark and join elite company in college football history by rushing for 1,000+ yards in 4 straight seasons...Offensive linemate at UNM with St. Louis Rams G Claude Terrell.

2005 Started all 11 games and earned 3rd straight 1st-Team All-MWC honors as team went 6-5...Opened holes for Moore to run for 1,363 yards and 14 TDs, become the 1st Lobo to earn earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and become the 1st UNM or Mountain West player to earn 1st-Team All-MWC in 4 straight years...Moore averaged 118.0 yards per game rushing and went over the 100-yard mark 7 times in 11 games, including a season-high 181 at Wyoming...QB Kole McKamey ran for 100 yards in another game, giving the Lobos a 100-yard rusher in 8 of 11 games...The Lobo offense also featured Baskett, who hauled in 1,071 yards receiving to give UNM the 1st-ever 1,000-yard rusher/receiver combo in school history...The Lobos upset Missouri on the road 45-35 to beat a Big 12 opponent on the road for the 1st time since 1983...The Lobo line protected UNM QBs as they completed 60% of their passes.

2004 Earned 1st-Team All-MWC recognition for the 2nd straight season...Helped Lobos to a 7-5 record, winning at least 7 games for a school-record 3rd straight season...Team finished as MWC runner-up for the 3rd consecutive year...Paved the way for Moore to run for 1,091 yards, his 3rd straight 1,000-yard performance...Faced Navy in the Emerald Bowl, New Mexico’s 3rd straight bowl appearance, in San Francisco...Part of a Lobo rushing attack at New Mexico State that ground out 321 rushing yards on 62 attempts.

2003 Earned 1st-Team All-MWC honors in his 1st season as a full-time starter for the 8-5 Lobos as they finished 2nd in the MWC...The 8 wins were the most by UNM since 9-4 mark in 1997...Faced Oregon State in Las Vegas Bowl, the 2nd straight appearance in the game...Helped pave the way for Moore’s career-high 242 rushing yards vs. Colorado State...Moore set a school record with 1,450 yards on the ground and ran for 21 TDs...UNM led MWC with 30.1 points per game and averaged 227 yards rushing per game.


2002 Burst onto the scene and established himself as the anchor of the Lobo line, a spot he would hold for the next 3 seasons...Stepped into starting lineup for 8 games... Made 1st career start at UNLV...Recovered from foot injury and battled back from it to step into starting job.

2001 Redshirted as a true freshman.

Personal Biography

Younger brother, Erik, is an offensive lineman at University of New Mexico…Majored in business management...Took part in Shop With a Viking during holiday season…Career aspirations are to be an entrepreneur following football.