Signing with Iowa is a dream come true for Drew Cook

Drew Cook waited his entire life to be a Hawkeye.

By the time national signing day arrived, the Iowa City Regina senior decided he had waited long enough.

Cook didn't waste any time officially becoming a Hawkeye by signing his national letter of intent to play football at Iowa at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday.

"I've been looking forward to this day for a long time," Cook said. "I've wanted to be a Hawkeye for as long as I can remember. I didn't want to wait any more."

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As a kid, Cook dreamed of following in the footsteps of his father and high school coach, Marv Cook, and playing at Kinnick Stadium.

A two-time all-state quarterback during a decorated prep career, Cook verbally committed to Iowa in February 2014.

"As a kid, I watched my dad's highlight tape and I just remember getting the goose bumps not only because it was my dad but because it was Iowa football," Cook said. "That really influenced by decision. I've always wanted to be a Hawkeye."

Cook's high school career was full of waiting.

He spent the first two seasons watching from the sidelines before taking over as starting quarterback for the Regals as a junior.

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In his first season as a starter, Cook passed for 2,563 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading Regina to a 14-0 record and third consecutive state title.

Then he started waiting again — this time for a scholarship offer.

"After his junior season, we put together some packages and he made a short list of schools and went out and presented it to the schools and basically applied," Marv Cook said.

Cook didn't have to wait long.

Last February, the Iowa coaches offered Cook a scholarship that he accepted on the spot.

"Iowa decided to make the ... offer and once it was made, I'm not going to lie to you, Drew wasn't going to give them a chance to take it back because he stood up and shook their hands right away," Marv Cook said. "He was all in from that point."

With a scholarship already in his pocket, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Cook picked up steam.

He put on 15 pounds of muscle in the summer, then accounted for 3,276 yards of total offense and 50 touchdowns as a senior.

Cook passed for 2,504 yards and 31 touchdowns last fall while completing 65 percent of his passes and leading Regina to a 13-1 record and fourth consecutive state title.

Ranked as a three-star prospect as an athlete by Rivals and a four-star recruit and No. 27 athlete in the country by ESPN, Cook said he is going to Iowa with the intention of playing quarterback.

"I'm super excited to go in as quarterback and I'm really looking forward to improving as a quarterback showing people what I can do on the field," he said. "It's going to be a new chapter in my life and it's going to be hard. It's not going to be easy, but there are a lot of fun times ahead and I'm really looking forward to that."

In two seasons as a prep quarterback, Cook passed for 5,406 yards and 56 touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions.

His father said he thinks that can translate to the next level, though he acknowledged that decision is for the Iowa coaching staff to make.

"Who knows what the future brings, but 6-foot-5, 220 pounds can run, can throw, reads defenses, can throw the ball where it needs to get. I'm excited," Marv Cook said. "But if it doesn't work out, he can catch, he can run, he can do other things. He just wants to be a Hawkeye."

Reach Ryan Murken at 319-339-7369 or rmurken@press-citizen.com and follow him on Twitter at @rmmurken.