Dalvin Cook: When character concerns aren’t concerning

Dalvin Cook comes to the Minnesota Vikings with a long list of run-ins with the law, but those who know him best are not worried.

When you first look at Dalvin Cook’s history of arrests, it’s hardly surprising that the talented running back fell to the Vikings in the second round. If anything, the surprise is that the Vikings were willing to make a player with a half-dozen arrests and citations the face of their 2017 draft class.

The Vikings are hardly the only ones willing to look past Cook’s past indiscretions, however. Even with a history of legal troubles starting in middle school and continuing through college, those closest to Cook point to his character as a shining example for others.

One of Cook’s staunchest supporters, Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher recently found himself at a loss for words during a post-game press conference when talking about Cook. (via TomahawkNation.com)

"“Wow, I’ll tell you what. You are blessed to coach certain guys in your career and he is one of them. I can’t say enough about him. We see the player and the toughness and all that, but man, the selflessness and the leadership on the sideline…what a dadgum football player. I don’t know what else to say about him.”"

Fisher went even further in the run-up to the NFL draft, addressing Cook’s checkered past head-on and personally testifying to his character. (via ESPN)

"“You’re never going to have those issues with him. He’s a great guy, tremendous character guy, and I never had any issues with him.”"

So why is it that nobody close to Dalvin Cook seems concerned about his character, despite a past so alarming that some scouts thought Joe Mixon was the safer bet? To answer that question, it’s necessary to look in-depth at the running back’s controversial record for context.

Depending on who you ask, it’s either an inspiration or an injustice that Cook has made it this far.

Cook’s trouble with the law began at just 14 when he was arrested for robbery. The charges were eventually dropped, but Cook’s problems didn’t end there. Cook was charged with a third-degree felony for possessing and firing a weapon on school grounds just a year later. Fortunately for Cook, the charges were dropped or abandoned once again.

Cook stayed out of trouble for much of high school, but again came face-to-face with the law on multiple occasions during his freshman year at Florida State in 2014.

First, Cook was charged with criminal mischief for being involved in a BB gun incident that resulted in over $200 of property damage. Later that year, Tallahassee Animal Services issued Cook two citations for mistreating pit bull puppies, who were found chained together by the neck outside of his residence. Most alarmingly, Cook was named an associate in an aggravated assault case in which two men at Cook’s apartment were investigated for allegedly brandishing a firearm at a neighbor, although charges were never filed.

Cook’s most widely publicized incident took place in July of 2015 when he was charged with misdemeanor battery and suspended indefinitely from the team after being accused of punching a woman in the face outside of a bar.

Dalvin Cook was ultimately found not guilty and acquitted in a verdict that took just 25 minutes to reach, according to ESPN, but the alleged incident and subsequent trial opened up a nationwide dialogue on the controversial running back’s past.

In the end, only the criminal mischief charge and animal mistreatment citations stuck on his record. Still, many are understandably troubled by Cook’s alarming pattern of behavior.

Depending on who you ask, it’s either an inspiration or a serious injustice that Cook has made it this far.

Growing up in Opa Locka, Florida, which boasted the highest violent crime rate in the nation in 2004 and is still one of the most dangerous cities in America, Cook was up against difficult odds from the beginning. (via the MMQB)

"“Our whole environment, there’s an everyday temptation of somebody trying to pull you in and make you do bad things,” Cook’s high school teammate Joseph Yearby said. “We faced temptation mostly every day of our lives.”"

Surrounded by drug deals and gang violence, it’s easy to see why Cook found himself in trouble with the law at such a young age. Succumbing to the pressure around him, Cook simply fell in with the wrong crowd.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, all of the concerns surrounding Cook to this day stem from just that: surrounding himself with negative influences.

"“So the reason [for Cook’s slide in the draft] as far as I’m told relates to some of the people that he hangs out with off the field,” Rapoport said. “It’s more upbringing than character if that makes any sense. Because at this point, from what I’m told, the on-field character is very good, considered to be at Florida State an excellent teammate, a very hard worker. But some of it is the situations he puts himself in off the field."

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And there lies why many are altogether unconcerned by Cook’s past. Everyone that interacts with Cook swears by the quality of his character, and all of his legal issues can be attributed to negative influences around him.

His early robbery and firearm charges were youthful mistakes brought about by his violent environment. Cook was just going along with a group of others in the BB gun incident. The aggravated assault investigation focused on two men staying with Cook, not Cook himself. Even in the 2015 battery charge, Cook was reportedly stepping in to defuse an altercation involving a teammate.

If Cook would simply leave all the negative influences and relationships of his past behind, many believe his character would finally be able to shine through. According to an anonymous scout, coaches at FSU believed he finally did that this year. (via MMQB)

"“Coach Vic at FSU would tell us that Dalvin finally grew up this year and was trying to get Miami thugs out of his life and stopped going home. They would come to Tallahassee and Dalvin would text Coach Vic when they were at his house and [he would] tell them to leave and be the enforcer.”"

To that extent, the Vikings can be confident in their second-round draft pick.

Still, it’s fair to ask: is some part of the player the Vikings drafted the same as the kid who was charged (but never convicted) with a third-degree felony in the violent crime capital of the U.S. just seven years ago?

Those who have interacted with Cook in recent years would answer with a quick and resounding “no”, but everyone will have to reach their own conclusion on how to feel about Cook’s past. All accounts point to Cook being an exemplary teammate and person, but questions still exist.

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With such a long history of run-ins with the law, “character concerns” are likely to hang over Dalvin Cook’s head for years to come. Those who know Cook, however, remain entirely unconcerned.