Former Youngstown State tailback Jamaine Cook has agreed to sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.
Cook, a Cleveland native, was one of 20 finalists for the 2012 Walter Payton Award, which honors the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Cook had 1,279 yards on 279 carries and scored a career-high 15 touchdowns in 2012.
In each one of his three years as a starter, he rushed for more than 1,276 yards, had at least 241 carries and scored more than 11 touchdowns every year.
On 20 occasions he rushed for more than 100 yards in a game, the second most in school history. TB Tamron Smith set the school mark of 22, however he had the benefit of numerous postseason contests.
He finished his 43-game career with 4,052 yards on 811 carries and scored 39 touchdowns. He ranked second in school history in career rushing yards after becoming just the second player to eclipse the 4,000-yard barrier. In this three seasons as the team's starter, he averaged 116 yards as a sophomore, 126 yards as a junior and 116.3 as a senior.
He set the school record for career all-purpose yardage with 5,220, averaging 121.4 yards per game during his career.
This season he posted career highs in careers and touchdowns. He was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick in 2012 after being named to the first team in 2011.
He is believed to be the first Penguin since Archie Herring (1991) to sign with the Browns.
