U.Va. FOOTBALL: Cook, Dowling believe they’re the best CBs in the ACC

Recently, Virginia cornerback Chris Cook was asked to rank the team’s stable of defensive backs. The Lynchburg native didn’t take very long.

“If I had to put a number on it, I’d give it a 10 because we have so many guys who can make plays,” said the senior. “We have so many people. Anybody can just do anything. It’s not a big drop off if anyone goes down.”

Fellow cornerback Ras-I Dowling agreed with Cook. In fact, the junior from Chesapeake took things a step further. Dowling, a preseason first—team All—ACC selection, believes there won’t be a better starting cornerback tandem in the ACC this season.

“Everybody needs to have confidence,” said Dowling, smiling. “You can’t go out there without confidence.”

However, Cook and Dowling bring more than just a swagger to Virginia’s secondary. With a total of eight career interceptions between them, they are arguably the most talented corner tandem of the Al Groh era. Some Virginia pundits are talking about the duo in the same breath as the Rhonde Barber—led secondary of the mid—1990’s. Barber, a potential Hall of famer, is still starring for the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Both Cook and Dowling have a rare combination of size and athleticism for the cornerback position.

Cook believes the thing that separates Dowling from other players is his work ethic.

“He’s such a hard worker,” Cook said. “Everything about him is just work. He’s been like that since he’s got here. He doesn’t slack off — in the weight room, conditioning — he just doesn’t slack off.”

Ironically, it was Cook’s lack of diligence that led to him being suspended for all of last season. Cook was suspended just before the team’s loss to Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl at the end of the 2007 campaign.

Cook says watching the team play without him was gut—wrenching. He winced as he recalled last year’s season—opening loss to USC.

“After that, I couldn’t really watch anymore because I realized I should have been out there with my team,” he said. “I started watching the Duke game, but then just turned it off after a while because I just couldn’t watch it anymore.”

Now back, Cook — who’s wearing No. 2 this season, in part, to signify his second chance — says he’s worked hard to “redeem myself as a player and as a student.” Clearly, the effort has been acknowledged by his teammates, who named Cook one of the team captains.

Cook was taken aback by his teammates’ faith in him.

“I was surprised when I got the captain role,” Cook said. “Some of the guys had told me they were going to vote for me, but I didn’t really think I would be one.

“When coach Groh told me I was a captain, I knew I had to prove myself not only to him, but everyone else on the team and be more of a leader than I’ve been.”

Dowling has seen a difference in his buddy.

“He’s working harder,” Dowling said. “He’s attacking the weight room harder. Everything is about this year for him.”

In his time away from the game, Cook believes he also evolved as a player.

“I feel like I may be a better technical player now,” he said. “Before I wasn’t very technical. I was just kind of out there on pure athleticism.”

Dowling is happy to have Cook back. He credits Cook for helping him develop on and off the field.

“When I first got here, he was the one who took me under his wing,” Dowling said. “He’s going to help a lot this year.”

The only thing left is for Cook and Dowling to prove things on the field.

Whitelaw Reid writes for the Charlottesville Daily Progress.