The Chimes

Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Megan Knight President Clyde Cook stands and applauds after the Eagles 62-53 victory Tuesday.

With the large arm of 6-foot-4-inch Stanford All-American Russ Lauer in the face of a young Clyde Cook, nothing phased the Biola junior at the time, as he sunk his fourth perimeter shot of nine straight to lead his squad on to one of the nation's biggest upsets of the spring 1956 AAU basketball Olympic tournament.

It was at that moment in history that Biola University President Cook had resonated as his favorite sports memory. However, as of Tuesday evening at Chase Gymnasium in front of a solid crowd on senior night, a new moment in history will sit alongside his previous favorite, as he was honored with the retiring of his jersey bearing the number nine and the name "Cook."

"It is honoring someone who has had a long career and done well," Cook said about the tradition of retiring jerseys. "I'm honored that they would retire my number."

When a franchise or program makes the decision to retire one's jersey number, the qualifications that come with that honor are revered as elite and special. Those qualified for such recognition fall in likes of the game's best and as ambassadors for the name that brushes the jersey's front.

Cook is the first-ever Biola Eagle to receive such an honor, and with a resume like his, the honor is naturally deserved.

Several benchmarks in his life added up to qualify Cook for this distinguished honor. He was CIF player of the year in 1953, offered 13 scholarships at major universities, holds the Biola single-game record for points in a game with 48 on 18 field goals, served as coach/player junior and senior years in college, served as athletic director for several years at Biola and is now retiring this spring after 25 years as president of the University.

Not much more could be asked from an individual who had never seen or touched a basketball until the age of 11. Coming from foreign lands and playing the sports of cricket and rugby prior to moving to America, the game of basketball was non-existent to Cook.

"The next day at school, they didn't choose me, and I just sat on the sideline," Cook said about his second experience with the game of basketball in grade school. "That was the motivation for me I think. … I was going to show these guys I'm going to master this sport. It's been a wonderful career."

Continued...

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