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Saints WR Brandin Cooks looks up to Steelers’ Antonio Brown

By Andrew Schuster

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Oct 26, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) carries the ball past Green Bay Packers free safety Micah Hyde (33) for a touchdown in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown had quite the All-Pro season in 2014, leading the NFL in receptions with 129 and receiving yards with 1,689.  With outstanding speed and small size, New Orleans Saints WR Brandin Cooks boasts similar characteristics to those of Brown.

Cooks, who was drafted by the Black and Gold out of Oregon State in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft stands at 5-foot-10 just like Brown.  He also displays the same blazing speed that helped Brown reach elite glory in the Steel City last year.

In a series called “Unfiltered” by Grit Media, professional athletes “share their raw thoughts on various life topics with their fans.” In a recent video posted by Grit, Brandin Cooks talked about finding mentorship in Antonio Brown and the keys to improving his game.

“Being so young and this past year being a rookie in the NFL, I always wanted to ask questions, and I felt like I just wanted to learn so much from different players — players that have been in the league for a while or I model my game after,” Cooks said.

“If I’m trying to get better I want to learn from the best, those who are doing it at such a high level, and pick their brain, and see what they do differently than everyone else,” he continued.

“I reached out to Antonio Brown.  Actually, we were at Nike doing some type of shoot.  I saw him, so we exchanged numbers there, and throughout the season I would just text him and ask him questions and congratulating him on having a successful season.”

Brandin Cooks said he asked Brown questions about his good footwork, getting in and out of his brakes so well and separating from defenders.

“He’s one of the best receivers out there, and he’s around my stature.  He’s not the tallest, he’s not the biggest.  It was actually easy to ask him, and I didn’t let my pride get involved at all.”

Cooks said Brown always shows excitement when he texts backs.  “He gives a lot of feedback.  He doesn’t send back one-word answers or a short message.  If I got a question, he goes into depth and answers those questions for me.  He’s a good dude.”

It’s got to be exciting for a rookie to get involved with one of the greats like that, especially one who shares such similar traits.  Brandin Cooks had an excellent start to his rookie campaign before landing on injured reserve with a hand injury in Week 11.

He’ll be entering his second NFL season with the chance to continue developing at the next level.  With TE Jimmy Graham and WR Kenny Stills out of the picture, Brandin Cooks has the perfect opportunity to emerge as Drew Brees‘ top target in 2015.  You never know — the promising young talent could be playing alongside Antonio Brown in the Pro Bowl one day.

Next: Saints offseason workout program dates announced

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