Dalvin Cook was a 2X First Team All-American at FSU football while accounting for over 30 percent of FSU’s offense from 2014-16.
Cook played with a sub-par offensive line and quarterback play, while routinely running against eight-man boxes, with FSU playing many top-ranked defenses.
Dalvin Cook obliterated all of them. Clemson and Brent Venables had nightmares about Dalvin Cook. The Miami Hurricanes had nightmares about Dalvin Cook, and it sucked more since he was from South Florida.
The Florida Gators had nightmares about Dalvin Cook, who he was once committed to before flipping to Florida State(Clemson too).
Don Brown’s vaunted defense with Michigan in 2016? Dalvin Cook torched them and led the Noles to their last New Year’s Six Bowl victory before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Cook has gone on to become the best running back in the NFL, yet his time at FSU continuously gets overlooked and disrespected.
Who's the greatest college RB of the 2010s? pic.twitter.com/aZ4Xh3RyO9
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) March 7, 2021
First of all, how can you ask such a question and only list four running backs? Secondly, can we get some type of criteria of why you choose those four in particular?
Otherwise, this list is terrible and omits a lot of great running backs from that time. Heck, even Leonard Fournette was like they were tripping with this list.
Also @dalvincook went crazy in college https://t.co/YW48ceZ0XM
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) March 7, 2021
Let’s look at how Dalvin Cook stacks up with a couple of these guys on their list.
The Stats
Saquon Barkely
- 671 rushing attempts
- 3,843 rushing yards
- 43 touchdowns
- 102 receptions
- 1,195 receiving yards
- 8 receiving touchdowns
Total plays from scrimmage: 773 plays , 5,038 yards, 6.5 yards per play and 51 touchdowns
Ezekiel Elliot
592 rushing attempts
3,961 rushing yards
43 touchdowns
58 receptions
449 receiving yards
1 receiving touchdowns
Total plays from scrimmage: 650 plays , 4,410 yards, 6.8 yards per play and 44 touchdowns
Najee Harris
638 rushing attempts
3,843 rushing yards
46 touchdowns
80 receptions
781 receiving yards
11 receiving touchdowns
Total plays from scrimmage: 718 plays, 4,624 yards, 6.4 yards per play and 57 touchdowns
Jonathan Taylor
926 rushing attempts
6,174 rushing yards
50 touchdowns
42 receptions
407 receiving yards
5 receiving touchdowns
Total plays from scrimmage: 968 plays , 6,581 yards, 6.8 yards per play and 55 touchdowns
Dalvin Cook
687 rushing attempts
4,464 rushing yards
46 touchdowns
79 receptions
935 receiving yards
2 receiving touchdowns
Total plays from scrimmage: 766 plays , 5,399 yards, 7 yards per play and 48 touchdowns
Final Verdict
I mean, the stats speak for themselves, not to mention the context of how much FSU football depended on Dalvin Cook during his career.
The stats show he’s the best overall running back of the guys they chose to list, which makes it absurd he wasn’t mentioned at all.
He averaged more yards per play than all of them when combining rushing and receiving plays.
Jonathan Taylor had more rushing yards, but that’s all Wisconsin does, and they always have a great offensive line. Nevertheless, Taylor had a season’s worth more carries(239) and had 1,710 more rushing yards.
Maybe you’re a fan of one of these other guys listed and never saw Dalvin Cook play? Here, let me help you out:
That is pure greatness witnessed and the best FSU football running back of all time. He deserves to be in the conversation of the best running backs of the last decade, no question.