JACKSON, Miss. (April 22, 2023) – Dr. Tracy M. Cook, one of the best tight ends to ever play at Alcorn State University, is among the slate of individuals who will be honored by the Southwestern Athletic Conference Alumni Association (Association) during its annual Legends Awards and Roast on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The event is slated for 7 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Ridgeland on 200 Township Place. Organizers say it is already a sellout affair.
The Association's Legends Awards and Roast annually honors former student-athletes as well as former or current coaches, athletics administrators or staff members who have had positive impacts on the historic conference. Cook will be a recipient of the Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Cook, a native of Fayette, Miss., was an outstanding student-athlete who played football for the Braves from 1990-1994. Even though he had amazing hands and footwork, he was better known for his blocking ability. During his career at Alcorn State, he played for head coaches Theo Danzy and Cardell Jones. His quarterback during three of those years was the great Steve McNair. The Braves won SWAC championships in 1992 and 1994 and Cook was named to the All-SWAC team both of those seasons, along with All-America honors in 1993. He completed his career at Alcorn State with 43 catches for 926 yards and four touchdowns.
When Cook began his matriculation at Alcorn State, he embarked upon a rewarding scholastic and athletics journey. He was the definition of a scholar-athlete. He earned his bachelor's (1994) and master's (1995) degrees from the Lorman, Miss. institution. He would later earn his doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2020. Dr. Cook currently serves as Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Alcorn State.
Before joining Alcorn's administrative staff, Cook served in several positions in the Claiborne and Jefferson counties public school districts. He served in the capacities of superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, athletics director, and teacher. Active in civic affairs and professional organizations, he has held membership in the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, Association of School Administrators, Southern Regional Educational Service-Agency Consortium, Mississippi High School Activities Association, and the Copiah Lincoln Junior College Board of Trustees.
In 2012, Cook was recognized as one of Alcorn State's 40 honorees under 40 years of age. In 2014, he was ranked among the university's Top 50 greatest football athletes of all time. He was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Although the Legends Awards and Roast is listed as a sellout, individuals still interested in attending the event may email the Association's Business Manager/Treasurer, Alvin Moore, to be placed on a Wait List should any seats become available. Moore's email address is amprint1949@aol.com.
Proceeds from the Legends Awards and Roast benefit the SWAC Alumni Association Degree Completion Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to student-athletes in the conference whose eligibility has expired and who are within 30 hours of graduating.
ABOUT THE SWAC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The purpose of the SWAC Alumni Association, which was founded on December 10, 1999 in Birmingham, Ala., is to support Southwestern Athletic Conference events, promote the conference's athletics heritage and help preserve its legacy of competitive excellence. Former student-athletes from any SWAC-sponsored sport and from all member institutions are eligible for membership, as are current and former coaches, athletics administrators, and staff members as well as game officials, employees of the conference office and supporters of SWAC athletics.
- SWAC AA –
