ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton had one of the more memorable quotes of the offseason when he said, "Even if he (safety Bryan Cook) is 100% wrong, he'll make you believe he's 100% right."
Cook finally got a chance to retort Friday after the Chiefs' first practice in pads at Missouri Western in St. Joseph.
"He's funny," Cook said when told about Bolton's quote during a one-on-one with KSHB 41 Sports. "I think he's just harping on the fact that I'm more confident coming in."
Cook is "coming in" to his second season in the NFL after a sterling rookie campaign.
Last season, he was a regular for the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs and perhaps the best play of his rookie season was one of the biggest plays of the Chiefs' season.
Tied 20-20 with Cincinnati in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game, Cook deflected a deep pass intended for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The ball fell into the arms of fellow rookie Joshua Williams for a key interception.
A couple drives later, Kansas City kicked the game-winning field goal and it was off to a third Super Bowl in the last four seasons for the franchise.
"I had an up-and-down rookie season," Cook said. "I had some plays I wish I could take back." He added, "That play was big for me, because I was able to showcase something that I didn't get the chance to really showcase. Then, the more meaningful part is that it helped us lead to the big one."
The big one means the Super Bowl, so it makes sense why Cook is more confident coming in the 2023 season.
And confidence is necessary for his position.
"I'm the last line of defense every down, so I just want to make sure everybody in front of me can play fast," Cook said.
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