A two-sport standout at Stanford, Cook was equally impressive in both football and baseball. On the diamond, he played outfield and helped the Cardinal win the 1987 College World Series. On a team with eight future major leaguers, Cook went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the title game against Oklahoma State, capping a career that saw him start 192 games out of 215 that he appeared in. 

A .317 career hitter (248-782), Cook batted under .300 just once in his career – a .284 mark as a sophomore. While he collected 51 career  extra-base hits with 157 runs batted in, speed was his game and he demonstrated plenty to the tune of 85 career swipes, including 37 during an All-Pac-10 junior season.

As a cornerback for the football team, Cook led the Cardinal in interceptions as a sophomore and junior, and was among the nation's leaders as a senior when he fractured his left wrist against San Diego State in early October. He returned just three weeks later, finishing the season with a career-high and team-leading eight interceptions while helping lead Stanford to the Gator Bowl.

Cook had a three-interception day against San Jose State in 1986 and finished with 17 career interceptions.

Drafted in the eighth round of the 1987 NFL Draft on concerns that he would choose baseball over football, Cook was also drafted in baseball, going in the 38th round to Minnesota. He wound up playing 11 seasons in the NFL from 1987-97, winning Super Bowl XXIX with the San Francisco 49ers.

Cook is currently President of Empire Sports, a division of Empire Film Group. Empire Sports is a sports, entertainment, and consulting company.