Free agent running back Dalvin Cook paid a heartfelt tribute to his late father, James Cook, on his birthday. It was December 29, 2020, when Cook, before his father’s passing, had a missed call from him late at night & unfortunately, Cook couldn’t answer the call.

Another oddly timed ring came through as he was heading to the Vikings‘ practice facility. This time, it was his grandmother Betty who conveyed the tragic news about his father’s demise. James Cook had been just 46 years old.

Dalvin Cook’s message to ‘Big Man’

The loss of his father deeply impacted Cook, leading him to miss the final game of the 2020 season so he could be with his grieving family in Miami.

The following year, he dedicated his efforts in the 2021 season to his father’s memory. Cook’s bond with his father remains strong, as he revealed, “What do I have right here? It’s my dad. That’s one of my reasons. Every time I’m going to compete; that’s how he raised me.” Cook even chose to get a tattoo in his father’s honor.

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Now, three years later, Dalvin Cook continues to cherish his father’s love and honor his memory on this special day. To commemorate the occasion, today he shared a photo of his father on his Instagram account, accompanied by the caption “Happy birthday big man! Love you and miss you, my boy.” With a purple heart alongside.

As a beloved son, Dalvin Cook fulfilled a promise his father had once made. James Cook had a dream of jersey number 4 for his star son.

An emotional dream for Dalvin Cook

After concluding the 2021 season wearing jersey number 33, Cook announced that he would switch to number 4 for the NFL 2022 season. This decision was inspired by his father’s words.

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His father had advised him that if the opportunity arose to wear number 4, he should seize it. Cook embraced this advice, making the change to number 4, proudly displaying it on his Vikings jersey beneath the “COOK” nameplate in 2022.

Reflecting on this choice, Cook expressed, “That was a promise I made to him… that I was going to get back in my number – and get back to getting us a Super Bowl around here.”

Cook’s connection to the number 4 goes beyond his father’s advice. He was motivated to wear it due to his older brother and his hero, Deandre Burnett, who also wore the number while playing football. Despite Burnett eventually transitioning to basketball, Cook continued to wear number 4 in pursuit of his NFL dreams.

With a desire to preserve the legacy and identity associated with the number, Cook aims to pass it on to his younger brother and cousins.

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