“He was like my hero through everything. … It’s still hard. I’m tough. He made me like this. And I’m just trying to get through it,” Dalvin Cook previously remarked. He reflected his sentiments and deep love for his father, James Cook Sr. NFL  running back who is all set to make his debut in week 8 with the Dallas Cowboys in San Francisco, and was greatly inspired by his dad.

With his motivation and support, he amazingly shaped his NFL’s successful trajectory.  His impressive last season performance made him one of the most distinguished RBs in the NFL world. Last season, he recorded 3.2 yards per carry on 67 attempts with the New York Jets during his appearance in 15 games.  Clearly, no one is as proud of him as his mom,  Varondria Burnett. She also has been his constant supporter throughout his journey.

Who are Varondria Burnett and James Cook Sr.?

Dalvin Cook’s mom, Varondria Burnett is an entrepreneur. According to her Instagram profile bio, she is the owner of the professional cleaning company, 6p Cleaning Services. Miami, FL, based company offers residential and commercial cleaning services including sanitizing, cleaning, and organizing services.

The mother of 6 is quite active on social media.  Dalvin Cook’s mom is often seen cherishing all the kids’ accomplishments and encouraging them to achieve their goals. Though, there is very limited information available about her. Seemingly, her background is still unknown.

On the other hand, the NFL RB’s beloved dad was also the owner of the mobile car wash company. And, he was known for his love for Jamaican music. Allegedly, he played a vital role in developing his interest in athletics. But, tragically, he passed away on December 29, 2020, due to some diabetes issues.

Allegedly, Dalvin’s dad died during the middle of his NFL season in 2020. So, he had to miss the last game of his fourth NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings. Sad, NFL RB returned to his hometown Miami to be with his family after the devastating loss.

After Cook Sr’s death at the age of 46, his mother has been by his side, channeling strength and motivating him to pursue his NFL ambitions. James Cook Sr. and Varondria Burnett had 6 children together.  Interestingly, all of their 3 sons are sports enthusiasts.

Just like, Dalvin Cook, his younger brother, James Cook is also an NFL star, playing for the Bills as RB. The Bills selected him as the second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. While, Burnett’s elder son, DeAndre Burnett is a professional basketball athlete. After being drafted by the Riders in 2018, a Miami star player in the Ukrainian Basketball Superleague in 2019.

On the other hand, they both were also the parents of their 3 adorable daughters Jamiya, Jameisha, and Daneshia.  Besides this, Dalvin also has one-half brother, Demarcus whom his late dad had from another relationship.

Cleary, with his parents’s immense support, former Jets player, Cook shaped his NFL career trajectory.

How did Cook’s parents influence his NFL career?

An ex-Minnesota Vikings player never fails to give credit to his parents for his current position. Earlier, during an interview, he demonstrated his adoration for his late dad.  “Everywhere my daddy went, I wanted to go,” ex-Florida State Seminoles player stated.  Apart from that, he further added that he was constantly “up under him.”

Besides that, he also explained that he continued that he grew “older, too. I only wanted to stay with my father.”

Not only this, but earlier, NFL RBs also spoke up about the learnings from his dad, that helped him to shape his NFL career. He revealed that his dad always told him that “tough times make people. It can make you or it can break you.” He continued, “I just feel like if I make it through, what’s at the end of the road?”

Additionally, he also expressed his perception of how to deal with the adverse situation that he also learned from his dad’s advice. “There’s always a brighter day or a brighter moment ahead, and I look forward to those moments and I embrace the tough times,” he stated.

Not only this, earlier he also spilled the beans on the family responsibility following his dad’s tragic death. Dalvin disclosed that his dad’s death drove him to stand up and become the family’s patriarch.

During in candid discussion, NFL RB talked about his actual role and strength after his dad’s tragic demise. Now I’ve got a “bigger role,” he asserted. “Just looking out for my brothers and sisters and my grandma, too. I just feel like that’s my role now in his absence,” he further explained.

Not only this, Dalvin Cook also shed light on his responsibilities to keep his siblings motivated in his dad’s absence. “I was trying to be so strong for my brothers and sisters because they were already so torn apart,” he added.  However, it is quite clear that, with his parent’s s support and learnings, he shaped his football career.