Whether you call him retired or just rebranded, John Cook sure knows how to keep his name buzzing louder than Memorial Stadium on game day! The gates swung wide open for the first-ever Huskers Games at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, setting the stage for a day packed with everything from women’s flag football to women’s soccer, a Nebraska-Midland exhibition showdown, and a volleyball throw down between Nebraska and Kansas. But if you were betting your last slice of Runza that Cook would be courtside for the volleyball match, hate to break it to you — you’d be way off. Instead, the 68-year-old legend, who just recently stole the show at the first-ever John Cook Roping Classic, traded volleyballs for lassos once again, pulling football stars like Harper Murray’s boyfriend, Heinrich Haarberg, right into his cowboy world.

Yup, instead of spiking balls, Cook was out there showing off his roping chops with the Huskers’ football crew — including Haarberg and Dylan Raiola — turning Memorial Stadium into a mini rodeo. Our four-time national champ wasn’t just having fun either; he took the reins and gave those football guys a crash course in cowboy skills, teaching them the ropes literally. And let’s just say, after the dust settled, Cook wasn’t shy about dropping a blunt and fiery message for the players he wrangled under his wing that day.

In a video shared by the folks over at Hail Varsity, the vibes were high and the laughs even higher as Ana Bellinghausen caught up with the cowboy coach himself, John Cook, after the roping challenge went down. Flashing that signature grin, Ana tossed the first question his way, asking, “Joined now by John Cook, after the roping challenge, what were your biggest takeaways of those football players on those horses?” — and oh boy, Cook didn’t miss a beat when he fired back with pure cowboy gold.

Without even blinking, he said, “They need to go back and practice, they need to talk less trash and go practice more, that’s what I saw. In the cowboy world, this is what they would have told them, you guys are throwing a purse, you need to throw a rope.” And honestly, if there’s anyone who could roast you and have you laughing while taking notes, it’s John Cook in full rodeo mode.

And well, Hail Varsity dropped some epic behind-the-scenes moments from the John Cook Roping Classic, and honestly, it was pure western magic. First, you’ve got Coach Cook in full cowboy mode, brushing down his horse like he’s got a serious mission ahead. The vibes were all cowboy hat and swagger, then boom—he’s out there, roping a steer on his horse, Rev, named after a Zach Bryan tune. Talk about a crossover—volleyball coach turned rodeo legend! Then, they hit us with a custom “Dream Big” saddle for Cook, engraved with all his NCAA titles. Iconic!

But wait, the internet couldn’t handle it when Heinrich Haarberg, quarterback and Harper Murray’s guy, jumped into the comments, dropping a “Yeah I’m cooked @harpermurrayy.” And let’s be real, we were all cooked after that. So, curious about how the event went down?

John Cook’s inaugural event brings the heat!

Inside the Sandhills Global Event Center a few days ago, it was a sea of cowboy hats, setting the stage for the inaugural John Cook Team Roping Classic. Over 250 contestants from six different states came together, ready to battle it out for more than $180,000 in prize money. As event chairman Travis Schauda put it, “Today is a lot of team roping.” With more than 60 duos on the roster, each pair had one goal: catch and rope a steer as fast as possible, with the header getting the steer by the horns and the heeler grabbing the back heels to stop it.

But it wasn’t all about raw strength; the mental game was just as tough. Jaya Nelson, a competitor from the UNL Rodeo Team, described it as, “The hardest part of it is all up here… it’s a big mental game.” Knowing when to take the leap and throw the rope with precision takes more than just skill—it’s about mental discipline, timing, and a lot of focus. And it’s clear this event wasn’t just a competition; it had a heart behind it, with proceeds going towards scholarships for the UNL club rodeo team.

Of course, the fun wouldn’t be complete without John Cook, who made sure to show off his own roping skills. He saddled up on Rev, his horse named through a social media contest and purchased with a bonus from his final coaching contract. As Travis Schauda recalls, “He said, ‘Let’s do it. I’m fired up.’” And fired up he was, diving into the event with as much energy as ever, roping steers and giving the crowd a show while raising money for a good cause.