From Digging Ditches to Defensive Standout

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - May 29, 2026

By Steve Irvine

Alex Cook’s football life is not done. Perhaps it’s far from done. But the 27-year-old Birmingham Stallions safety got a glimpse of life without the sport before getting an UFL opportunity this season.

Cook searched for his next step last August after being waived by the Chicago Bears. That next step, at least at the time, was not related to football. Cook went to work in the plumbing business.

“Yeah, I mean, there was a lot of uncertainty after training camp with the Bears,” said Cook, a former standout at the University of Washington. “I didn't know what I was going to do. It's funny because I live in Houston, but I went back to Seattle where I went to college and where my wife's family is from and I started doing some plumbing work. So, I was digging holes and changing sewer lines in the month of January, just kind of just not knowing what I was going to do. Thinking about being a firefighter, just kind, you know, weighing out my options.”

Before we get those options, the decision had some practicality to it.

“My wife's brother, he's a plumber for Seattle Beacon Plumbing,” Cook said. “He's been doing it for about 14 years. I'm a homeowner, so he was like, ‘Man, this would be a good thing for you to learn, you know, just to have in your back pocket. It’s just something that's a good trade for you to learn.’ I was like, I'll fly down there and see what it's talking about. I just started learning the trade and got really good at it.”

Then he got a phone call from Birmingham Stallions defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer, who offered him an opportunity to compete for a job at safety. The decision came quickly.

“I mean, going from digging holes in the middle of a Seattle winter to playing football in the sunny Arlington summer, you can't ask for much better than that,” Cook said.

Cook fits in nicely with a Stallions defense. The 6-foot, 195-pound California native is second on the team in defensive snaps with 457 and fourth in tackles with 38. He’s added a tackle for loss, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

“Alex has been great for the team,” said linebacker Kyahva Tezino, who has been a defensive staple for the Stallions over the past three seasons. “I mean, he's brought another dynamic to the team. Coach Sherrer likes to be physical, he likes to be aggressive. Alex is everything that essentially Coach Sherrer wants. He’ll come downhill and hit you hard.”

Perhaps Cook’s signature moment came last week on the first defensive series in the loss at Columbus. Cook was coming from the outside on a blitz but read that quarterback Jalen Morton was attempting a backward pass toward the sideline to running back Zaquandre White. Cook changed his path and was able to get a hand on the football and swat it away White. Cook then scooped up the ball and raced 73 yards for a touchdown.

“I don't know if you can tell in the film, but I kind of came off the ball late just to read it a little bit better,” said Cook, who is playing with a hand injury. “Once that back peeled, I peeled with him, redirecting my path. I'm like, no way, this quarterback is gonna throw it to him. Sure enough, he threw it to him. I feel like I could have got both hands on the ball, but obviously I got a broken hand so I punched the ball out. Thankfully, it was a great bounce and by the grace of God, I was able to pick it up with a freaking club on my hand. And nobody was there to come chase me down.”

The touchdown was a special bonus on his excellent defensive play.

Cook envisioned a life filled with touchdowns when he entered the University of Washington. He had been a two-way star in high school and was recruited to Washington to play wide receiver. He redshirted as a true freshman and played in 12 games the next season with a start in the Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State in January of 2019. That following spring, he was moved to the secondary, where he flourished. He had 139 tackles in just over three full seasons, including a team-high 82 in his final year.

“I miss scoring touchdowns, I miss the publicity receivers get,” Cook said with a laugh. “Playing DB, unless you're like a top five guy in the NFL, you don't really get that much love. But if you're a receiver, there's a lot of love and a lot of marketing opportunities for you. To be honest, aside from all the stuff I just mentioned, I really love playing DB. I honestly wish I would have came into college as a DB. I feel like I could have developed my game a lot more, a lot faster but I think it all worked out, no doubt.”

His focus right now is helping the Stallions win one more game, which is one step toward a possible playoff berth. But he is also focused on finding a way back to the NFL. Cook has been on the New York Giants practice squad two different seasons, played in 10 games with two starts for the Carolina Panthers in 2023 and had a reserve/future contract with the New York Giants. And the quest came from an opportunity to play this season.

“Yeah, it's funny you say that because every day I woke up when I was in Seattle, I'm like ‘Man, I'm still at the top of my game, I could be on a NFL roster and produce and make plays,’” Cooks said. “That is just kind of tough to deal with. But at the same time, it's kind of a blessing because I was with my family a lot more, spending time with them, getting to pour into my three-year-old. So, I mean, there's the con is obviously not playing football, but the pro is being a family man, which God intended me to be and getting more deep into my faith and all that stuff. So I was just kind of focusing on the positivity of everything and not so much of a dang, I'm not playing ball no more. But, you know, it does creep in your head every once in a while.”