William Carey University

A graduate of West Jones High School, Ricky Cook's path to Carey was a little different than the others.

Helping a friend to campus one day, Cook had a chance encounter with WCU baseball coach Johnny Stephenson. After a workout, Coach Stephenson offered Cook a scholarship and the rest is history.

Cook was a key member of the WCU rotation for the next four years. He was part of Crusader teams that won 168 games in four years, including the historic 1978 team that went 58-11 and spent much of the season as the #1 team in the country.

Cook graduated WCU with a degree in Physical Education with a minor in Education and Psychology.

Following graduation Cook taught school in the Glade community before moving to work in the oil field and eventually a 25 year career in insurance. After his insurance career he returned to the classroom for 10 years before retiring to spend time with his family in Glade.