Family first: Jaguars punter Logan Cooke would have stayed behind for the birth of his son

The Jaguars came close to leaving one of their most valuable players home while the team flew to London to play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. 

But Cooper Jack Cooke came through for his father, Jags punter Logan Cooke. 

Cooper checked into the world at 6:32 p.m. on Monday at 20 inches and 8.02 pounds, displaying remarkable timing — 26 hours after the Jaguars finished their game with Tennessee and four days before the team was due to board a plane for London. 

Cooke said if his wife Mary had not yet given birth by Thursday, he would have stayed in Jacksonville — with coach Urban Meyer's blessing. 

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"You have faith, family, football ... that's how they all are," said Cooke on Thursday after the Jaguars went through their final practice at home before leaving for London. "If she didn't [give birth] before London, that was the plan, to stay here. Coach Meyer ... we were on the same page but that helped knowing that." 

Cooke said he found out quickly one truism of parenthood. 

"They don't sleep a lot," he said. "But it's awesome. It's the craziest thing to watch him come and take his first breath. It's an unbelievable moment. I have way more respect for my mom and all moms and especially her [his wife].” 

Cooke had about a one-hour window after practice to go home, spend a few minutes with Cooper, and then leave for the airport. 

"It’s terrible,” he said of the prospect of going on the road so soon after Cooper’s birth. “'m sure one of us will cry a little bit.” 

Still pinching himself

Cooke termed his son's birth "a blessing," one of the most natural reactions to a moment like that.  

It's also a phrase he uses to describe his four-year NFL career to date. 

A case could be made that Cooke is the most consistent Jaguar player over the past four seasons and certainly one of the most versatile. 

After all, punting, kicking off (and then covering after the kicks) and holding for placekicks all involve their own skill set involving strength, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination and fast decision-making. 

The fourth-year pro from Mississippi State still pinches himself every now and then, wondering how he went from Darbun, Miss., a small town near the Pearl River in Marion County, hard by the Louisiana border, to the NFL. 

"It's a little surprising that I have a professional career in the first place," Cooke said. "I didn't think it would. And so, to be here is a blessing." 

It took a pep talk from his father Len during his rookie season, after the elder Cooke noticed that his son was among the top-10 in the NFL in net punting average and the number of kicks downed or trickling out-of-bounds inside the opposition 20-yard line. 

"He said, 'Well, you proved that you belong,'" Cooke said. "So that helped me out. When I got here, I didn't really feel like I deserved to be here or belong here, and now I see that I have the potential to be up there with some of the top punters in the league." 

It's been more than potential. Cooke finished among the top-10 each of his first three seasons in net average — the statistic he believes measures the true worth of a punter — and this season he's averaging 45.2 yards net, off a gross of 48.9. Both numbers are eighth in the NFL and on track for career highs. 

With the Jaguars place-kicking situation so muddled between Josh Lambo and Matthew Wright, coaches gave Cooke kickoff duties two games ago, a task he has taken sporadically during his pro career. 

"I did it all in college so I don't think it really hinders anything," he said. "Kicking off kind of keeps me loose [between punts]." 

Cooke praises snapper Matiscik, coverage teams

One measure of Cooke's worth, and of the emphasis past and current Jaguars coaching staffs have put on special teams, is that he's never had a punt blocked in 239 attempts in the NFL and never had a punt returned for a touchdown. 

Likewise, the Jags have not allowed a return for a score on his 100 kickoffs. 

Cooke said none of that is possible without long snapper Ross Matiscik or the Jags' coverage teams — and Matiscik has proven to be a plus in being athletic enough to snap the ball, protect until Cooke gets the kick off, and then cover down the field. 

"He's unbelievable, what he can do," Cooke said. "There are plenty of snappers who can snap but from a protection standpoint and coverage standpoint ... that aspect for a long snapper, they're getting more of the athletic guys. To have a guy run a 4.6 [40-yard dash] or 4.7 down the field to cover, that's extra." 

Cooke credits his net punting statistics to the coverage teams. 

"Our gunners are unbelievable," he said. "I've mis-hit a few punts this year, whether it's to the middle of the field or wherever, and it's a fair catch when it shouldn't have been a fair catch because D.T. [Daniel Thomas] and Rudy Ford flying down there, that helps." 

Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said his unit needs to starting taking advantage of the field position Cooke is giving them.

“Obviously, when we pin those guys back deep, it’s great and we just have to make sure we keep them there.” he said. “When I was in Baltimore, we had a great punter [Sam Koch], and he did the same thing."

Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke saw Cooke's value shortly after taking over, and on March 21 Cooke signed a four-year, $12 million extension of his contract. To date, he's the only member of the 2018 draft class to get a new contract.

Cooke at a loss about Lambo

Cooke also has another job he probably wasn't prepared for after holding the ball for kicker Josh Lambo in his first three seasons. During that span, Cooke planted the ball on the ground and watched Lambo make 57 of 60 field-goal attempts and 46 of 50 conversions, for a total percentage of .936 

But since injuries limited Lambo to four games last season, Cooke has held for seven kickers in the past 21 games as two Jaguar coaching staffs have groped for answers to either find a replacement while Lambo was hurt or trying to get Lambo back to his old form. 

The seven kickers, including Lambo, have combined to make 18 of 29 field-goal attempts (.621) and 33 of 40 conversions (.825). 

And a familiar scene has played out over that time: a kicker missing, bowing his head in disappointment, and Cooke tapping him on the helmet, trying to find the right words to say. 

"It's tough ... it's a weird spot," Cooke said. "I guess it's kind of like a guy missing a block or dropping a pass. But it's all mental, 99 percent mental ... that's the kicking game." 

Cooke knows the feeling. When he struggled in his first three games as a rookie, with a net average of 36.7, former Jags coach Doug Marrone brought other punters in for tryouts. 

But he stuck with Cooke and he went on to finish 10th in the NFL with a net average of 41.3 and third with 37 punts downed or out-of-bounds inside the 20. 

"It was super-eye opening for me to see how quickly this business turns around," he said. "It's a head thing. Once you get over that, you're good to go. It's like a hitter ... you get a few strikeouts and it's hard to get out of it." 

Cooke said he's there for Lambo any time he needs him. But he admits he's at a loss. 

"I don't know what to tell him," Cooke said. "I'm not a kicking guru. I'm really not a punting guru. I just love hitting the ball. He knows what he's doing. He's just got to get a few kicks and honestly the best way to get out of it is to keep swinging."