CFP SEMIFINAL AT THE CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: GEORGIA VS MICHIGAN

December 28, 2021

James Cook

Hard Rock Stadium

Georgia Bulldogs

Press Conference

Q. How does it feel to be back home and playing in front of friends and family, and what advice did your brother give you as he also had a big Orange Bowl performance a few years ago?

JAMES COOK: It's always good to play at home. I mean, he really didn't give me no advice, but all I ever knew was just play football. There's no advice he could give me other than that. Just playing at home is always good just in front of my family and friends. It's going to be a good one.

Q. Do you feel like it's any pressure knowing that you played at Traz Powell for the majority of your high school career to going to Hard Rock Stadium? Do you feel like there will be a lot of pressure compared to that, if it's just football?

JAMES COOK: I've been playing football all my life, so I mean, you just go out there and play. There's no pressure. It's just different scenery or the field that I played on. I've been playing football all my life, so as long as I keep playing how I play, it'll be good.

Q. I've been driving around here, been through Miami Shores, Miami Gardens. We're in Fort Lauderdale right now. I find myself wondering exactly where was James and his brother growing up when you were young around here? Can you talk about that, and just kind of what's some inherent things about this area, the neighborhood you grew up in, that maybe you've missed that you get a warm memory thinking about being back here?

JAMES COOK: I mean, I grew up in Miami Gardens, Carol City. Just playing just at the Hard Rock Stadium, it just gives me chills because I ain't never really played in the Hard Rock Stadium. So just playing in front of my family is going to be good, at home, and just like where I grew up, it was -- I mean, it wasn't bad, but you've got areas like that is bad. I mean, just growing up and just having that edge like playing at Traz Powell as a young kid in high school in front of everybody, it was great. I know it's going to be great playing at Sun Life Stadium in front of my friends and family.

Q. Your offensive coordinator Todd Monken just said he has all the confidence that Stetson Bennett can lead you guys to a National Championship. How much faith do you guys have in him?

JAMES COOK: I mean, he's been doing what he's doing all year, so I mean, it ain't nothing new, or the stage ain't too big for what he just got to do extra. Just continue to do him and play football and put him in the right situations for us to win.

Q. How many friends and family are you anticipating being at the game on Friday, and then how would you just sum up your career at Georgia to this point? I know you have a game on Friday and hopefully another game after that, but how would you sum up how your college career went?

JAMES COOK: About people coming to the game, I know my mom is going to come to the game, and I really don't worry about the tickets and everything. She does. Here at Georgia, I just kept my face clean and worked hard every day and be a good leader in the building. I keep -- like my time at Georgia was great, and I'm not done yet, because I'm going to still have another game left. Yeah, it's been a great journey here at Georgia, and I hope people remember me forever here.