SI: Connor Cook's Father Was Seen As Red Flag By Some NFL Teams

By: Evan Jankens
@kingofthekc

Michigan State's Connor Cook won a Rose Bowl, won 35 games, won the Cotton Bowl and could make all the throws.

That wasn't good enough for him to a be a first, second or third round player in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Cook, who was drafted in the fourth round (100th overall), has been criticized for everything from leadership to talent over the past few weeks.

Sports Illustrated did an interesting article called "How Quarterbacks Are Made."

The story talks about NFL drafted QBs — and there are some interesting lines in the story about Cook and his father, Chris. The two are considered to be "best friends" and rightfully so. I consider my father my best friend; but Cook's seems to take the friendship a little far in my opinion.

Chris's involvement in his son's affairs and his outsized, sometimes abrasive personality were noted by several NFL evaluators as potential red flags for Connor Cook, who fell to the Raiders in the fourth round.

The story documents Cook and his father's involvement with his recruitment to Michigan State as well as making a phone call to Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio.

According to a source close to the Spartans' program, Chris called coach Mark Dantonio at the beginning of last season and expressed concern that the team's decision to not make Connor a captain would damage his draft stock.

Now all of this is starting to make sense to me and why teams would be concerned. His father calling Mark Dantonio is not OK. Dantonio has to worry about what is best for the team and not one individual player.

Do you think this was a deciding factor for a lot of teams?