"I realized I had 2 1/2 games left to play": Brady Cook opens up about his injury that forced him to leave for hospital mid-game

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook's resilience shone on Saturday. He led his team to a dramatic 21-17 victory over Auburn. However, he left the game in the first quarter due to an ankle injury.

Cook's midgame hospital visit for an MRI on his ankle left Tigers' fans concerned and the team in trouble. He sustained the injury on the opening drive and headed for the hospital to assess the damage.

Cook’s return late in the third quarter spurred Missouri to two fourth-quarter touchdowns. This included the game-winning run by Jamal Roberts with just 46 seconds remaining. In the postgame interview, Cook discussed his injury:

“It was a long hour-and-a-half for sure. I did not think I was going to come back to play in the game. My stuff was off, my pads were off. We worked on it for about an hour and a half, we were over at the hospital, got an MRI.

"Ultimately, I realized I had two and a half games left to play in front of that crowd. ... and we were going to find a way. We were down and we needed to come back, find a way to win this game. I think, we lose that game and the rest of our season looks a little different, and I recognized that and I knew we needed to go win it."

Brady Cook's return turned Missouri around

With Auburn holding a 17-6 lead, Missouri’s chances appeared slim. However, Brady Cook's return changed the game’s momentum completely. On his first drive back, he connected with Mookie Cooper for a 78-yard pass, which set up Marcus Carroll’s touchdown run.

The game clock wound down and Missouri faced a four-point deficit. Cook orchestrated a remarkable final drive that covered 95 yards in just over four minutes.

Despite the pain, Brady Cook converted a crucial third down. Especially with a run and followed it up with a key fourth-down completion to Luther Burden III. On third-and-10, he found Theo Wease for another critical first down, before hitting Mekhi Miller, positioning Missouri inside the 10-yard line. Jamal Roberts finished the drive with a go-ahead touchdown, sealing the Tigers' victory.

Roberts praised Cook’s grit, noting the quarterback could have opted out of the game entirely after his injury. He told reporters after the game:

“He could have sat out and watched the game from the sideline, or on TV,” Roberts said.

Brady Cook finished with 194 passing yards, despite only playing for about half the game. His performance was complemented by a stellar Missouri defense that limited Auburn to just 286 total yards. Missouri, now 6-1, will face their next challenge next Saturday when they take on Alabama.

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