Talk:Hank Cook

DYK

Pinging a handful of editors who's opinions I value: @BeanieFan11: @WikiOriginal-9: @Jweiss11: @4meter4: I am considering submitting for a DYK on this one. Maybe ...

• ... that, despite being blind in his left eye, Hank Cook ranked second in pass receptions in 1973?

Thoughts? Something better? Thanks for any input. Cbl62 (talk) 15:21, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

• I think more context could be useful, perhaps ... that, despite being blind in his left eye, Hank Cook ranked second in college football in receptions? I think football needs to be in the hook at some point and forward pass doesn't need to be linked when receptions is. BeanieFan11 (talk) 15:46, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

@Cbl62: I like the hook. Beanie's suggestions are good. In looking in ancestry I suspect his birth name was Henry Gray Cook and that he was born in January 1952 in Santa Ynez, California (see U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019). This matches the name in the 1970 Cabrillo High School graduation list. the 1976 graduation report of Henry Gray Cook from New Mexico State University where Cook played ball. This is probably his mother's obituary. Obviously this would be leaning on the WP:OR side and is a bit of a grey area adding to the article without better referencing. However, it might give a clue to locating this content in RS where the connection is more clearly made.4meter4 (talk) 15:55, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

This source gives his graduation year as 1970. " Henry Gray Cook" was the only listed student with the last name Cook in 1970 from the 1970 Cabrillo High School graduation list, so I am positive this is indeed the correct/same person.4meter4 (talk) 16:10, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

• Update. So I located his parents in findagrave: Aubrey Baxter Cook Jr. and Mary Gray Williams Conners. This enabled me to locate his birth record and a published newspaper announcement on his birth. He was actually born in Tennessee where his dad was from and not California where the family settled.4meter4 (talk) 16:47, 21 September 2026 (UTC)
• Wow! Thanks very much for the research and hook input! Cbl62 (talk) 17:34, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

@Cbl62: and @BeanieFan11: I wanted to add Hank's birth name to the info box template but oddly Template:Infobox gridiron football biography does not have the "birth_name=" parameter which is weird as its the only bio template I have come across without that parameter. I went to the talk page of the template and saw this issue was raised without going anywhere last year. So... I started Template talk:Infobox gridiron football biography#RFC on adding Birth_name parameter. Best.4meter4 (talk) 18:06, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

I'm not smart about template coding. I think @WikiOriginal-9: knows about those things. Cbl62 (talk) 18:54, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

• What about: alt 1 ... that, despite being blinded in his left eye by a freak walnut accident, Hank Cook ranked second nationally in football receptions in 1973? Cbl62 (talk) 18:54, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

Did you know nomination

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• ... that despite being blinded in one eye by a freak walnut accident, Hank Cook ranked second nationally in football receptions in 1973?

• Source: *here: For #2 in receptions, scroll down to "Appearances on Leaderboards" and expand the"Receptions" tab
• here: "Hank is blind ... Since early childhood [he] has been without the use of one eye..."
• here: "At age five, little Hank Cook was blinded in one eye in a freak neighbrhood accident."
• here: "When he was three, he and a cousin were throwing walnuts at each other and one struck Hank's left eye."

• • ALT1: ... that despite being blind in one eye, Hank Cook ranked second in football receptions in 1973? Source: same
  • Reviewed: Marcelle Bunlet

Created by Cbl62 (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 401 past nominations.

Cbl62 (talk) 16:07, 26 September 2026 (UTC).

• Idea I thought of: ALT2 ... that Hank Cook overcame being blinded in one eye by a freak walnut accident [or 'by a walnut'] to become the second-leader receiver in college football? (or "to be second in college football in receptions?) BeanieFan11 (talk) 01:00, 27 September 2026 (UTC)

• I am fine with the original hooks or BeanieFans' "alt2". Cbl62 (talk) 14:14, 29 September 2026 (UTC)