FSU’s Dalvin Cook to compete in All-Star Football Challenge

Early in January, the greatest running back in Florida State history, Dalvin Cook, decided that he would take his talents to the NFL. Later in the same month, those same skills will be on display in Dallas, as it was announced recently that Cook will compete in State Farm’s All-Star Football Challenge, which will occur in the Lone Star state on January 30. Cook will participate in a contest described thusly by an FSU release:

The 2017 State Farm All-Star Football Challenge has been reimagined for its 19th edition. For the first time, the skills competition will feature 24 of college football’s brightest stars divided into six teams based on their college conference. Each team will consist of four players from the same conference that will compete for conference supremacy in a series of skills competitions. The conferences represented are the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12, the SEC, and four of the best players outside of the Power Five that will be called the “Wild Card” team. Each team will also be designated a current NFL player that was a prolific college star in that team’s conference to serve as a coach and mentor throughout the competition.

“We are extremely excited to introduce the revamped format for this year’s All-Star Football Challenge,” said Intersport Vice President of Sports Properties Drew Russell. “We believe that this format will add competitive spirit between the athletes and create an emotional connection for fans of every conference viewing the event at home.”

Each player will individually participate in a timed event, and then finish with a full team event. Events will all be timed and have individual winners that will compile into a cumulative score to determine the winning team. For example, the quarterbacks from each team will all compete against each other to win their competition. But ultimately, their time will be added to the times of the other competitors on their conference designated team to determine a final team score.

Individual events in the 2017 All-Star Football Challenge include: the State Farm QB Accuracy Competition, the PlayStation Hands Competition, the Be The Match Lineman Strength Challenge and the Mercedes-Benz Obstacle Course. To conclude the program, the players will compete as teams in the State Farm Team Competition.

A complete roster will be announced at a later date.

Alumni of the All-Star Football Challenge include three Heisman Trophy winners (Ron Dayne, Troy Smith and Jason White), 65 first-round NFL Draft picks and 32 Pro Bowlers, such as: Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Jamaal Charles, Greg Olsen, Dez Bryant, Von Miller, Vernon Davis, Joe Flacco, Donovan McNabb and Edgerrin James.

Also from FSU:

“The annual program is scheduled to air Friday, Feb. 3, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The event will have encore airings on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET on April 8 and on ESPN2 at noon ET on April 23.”

High-round Florida State draftees Jalen Ramsey and Roberto Aguayo took place in this event last year.