Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame
Two-sport star Daniel Cooke started 251 games in football and baseball during his time in Boiling Springs. Cooke was named first-team All-Big South Conference in football four times while starting at safety. The Football Gazette tabbed Cooke a third-team All-American in 2006. He was a member of the 2006 Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team in baseball, earned a spot on the A-Sun’s 2008 All-Tournament Team and was a 2009 All-Big South selection on the diamond. Cooke started all four years in both sports. On the gridiron, he finished with 282 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss and eight interceptions. He also broke up 21 passes. As a freshman he led the team with 99 total tackles, becoming the first rookie in a decade to do so. In baseball, Cooke finished his 207-game career with a strong .324 batting average to go with 17 home runs, 145 RBI, 91 walks and 94 stolen bases. He ranks in the top-10 in program history in 12 different offensive categories, and is the career leader in steals, walks and run scored. Cooke remains the only man in Big South Conference history to earn All-Conference honors in both football and baseball.
