Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Cook and Mattison make up a strong 1-2 punch, with ESPN naming them the league's top running back duo back in early October.
That distinction has been easy to see on the field, even if the Vikings have struggled to a 2-5 record so far in 2020.
Cook was a 2017 second-round pick who showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons before putting together a Pro-Bowl campaign in 2019 with his first 1,000-yard season and 13 rushing touchdowns.
He signed a multi-year contract extension the day before the start of the 2020 season and has promptly played like one of the game's best all-around backs.
Cook has rushed for 652 yards in six games played, which ranks second in the NFL. And his 10 rushing touchdowns rank first and are a franchise record for the most through Week 8 of a season. Cook garnered NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance at Green Bay. He also was voted as FedEx Ground Player of the Week.
"He's a terrific football player, great person, good leader," Zimmer said of his starting running back. "He runs extremely hard, catches the ball well."
Vikings running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu said Cook's evolution as a leader — Cook was named a season-long captain in September — has helped the team on and off the field.
"He has an energy about him. He captures up young men. He lives it," Polamalu said. "He works his tail off, he's a smart football player, he wants [his teammates] to have joy and have fun because he loves the game and he loves being a teammate.
"[Him being named a captain] … it's well-earned," Polamalu added. "Since he's walked through the doors here, all he's done is work hard and produce. The definition of a leader is to make everybody around him better, and I believe he has."