Dropkick Record BTHS
“Dropkick Extra Point” by Larry Curry
The Lawrence County Historical Society is always getting requests about events that took place in Lawrence County in the past. This is normal because this is one of the many things we do. Obviously we are unable to address all requests because we don’t have enough time or volunteers. So what does that have to do with a “dropkick extra point?” Try your best to stay with this story.
A couple weeks ago a lady named Janice Cook from Puyallup, Washington contacted the Historical Society and requested some football statistic. The statistic had to do with a Bridgeport High School football team in the fall of 1950. This happened to be the senior year her father, Richard G. Cook, played. After conversing with her, she asked us to contact her brother for more details. Her brother is Eric Cook who lives in Cleveland, Tennessee near their father, Richard Cook. Some of you who are reading this story may remember Richard Cook growing up in Bridgeport in the “good ole days.” His family ran Cook’s Restaurant in downtown Bridgeport.
After talking to Eric, here is where the “dropkick extra point” comes in. Richard Cook has shared the story of him dropkicking an extra point in a Bridgeport football game. His son, Eric, has become interested in this because it comes across as a record. By the way, the dropkick extra point is extremely rare and no longer heard of. Eric had become interested enough in this record that he would like to put it in his father’s obituary someday. This all makes perfect sense, so we did our best to help with this request.
We have access to about all of the old Bridgeport yearbooks and a lot of old football games, however there were no Bridgeport yearbooks made in the early 1950’s. We finally found an article dated October 26th in an old 1950 Bridgeport Leader that mentioned Richard Cook’s famous dropkick extra point. We were excited to find the article and sent it to the son, Eric, we were heartbroken to hear that Richard Cook had passed away just a few days before the article was sent. In this little dropkick story we were able to find out more about Richard G. Cook, another amazing Lawrence County individual we are very proud of. “Rich”, we thank you for your service, “Go Bulldogs” and rest in peace!
The following is the football article and Richard G. Cook's Obituary:
