Today's player is one that has yet to record a single stastistic while being with this Boilermaker team. Cooks is part of Joe Tiller's final recruiting class and came in as a raw, underdeveloped prospect with high hopes for his future. Sadly, after the seasons passed and Cooks was expected to make contributions to the team, he never ceased his chance and has yet to play in any of the past three seasons. Cooks is crazy athletic, which is what led to so many people to believe that he would eventually have a breakout season. Sadly, it doesn't look like that will happen his senior year.
LaSalle Cooks - Sr. (RS)
Hometown: Orlando, FL. (Pine Castle Christian Academy)
Defensive Tackle
6' 3", 271 pounds
2012 Projection: Reserve at defensive tackle/end
Like I mentioned earlier, Cooks is super athletic. He was a state champion basketball player in high school, a state finalist for the shot put throw his junior year, and recorded some impressive stats his senior year in football: 83 total tackles, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks. Even with his athleticism working for him, the LaSalle Cooks story shows us that athleticism alone doesn't always guarantee success.
Even with three years of Purdue football under his belt, don't expect to see Cooks get much playing time. With Short, Russell, and company playing ahead of him, Cooks is going to have to bust his butt for a chance to get on the field, or take a spot due to injury.