Cookie Brinkman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| No. 47 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | May 26, 1949 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | ||||
| Died | October 24, 2019 (aged 70) | ||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Roger Bacon (St. Bernard, Ohio) | ||||
| College | Louisville (1967–1970) | ||||
| NFL draft | 1971: undrafted | ||||
| Career history | |||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Charles William "Cookie" Brinkman (May 26, 1949 – October 24, 2019) was an American professional football wide receiver.
A Cincinnati native, Brinkman played football and golf at Roger Bacon High School. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, where he emerged as one of the top receivers in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). As a senior in 1970, Brinkman earned first-team all-MVC honors and an All-American honorable mention recognition from the Associated Press after leading his team to a conference title.
After going unselected in the 1971 NFL draft, Brinkman joined the Cincinnati Bengals, but was released before the start of the season. Following a short stint with the Cleveland Browns, he rejoined the team in 1972 and appeared in one game for Cleveland that season. Brinkman finished his career a member of the Buffalo Bills from 1973 to 1974.
Brinkman was born on May 26, 1949, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Joseph and Helen Brinkman.[1][2] His father played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system until a broken hand ended his career.[3]
Brinkman attended Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati, starring on the school's football team under head coach Bron Bacevich.[3] He played at defensive back until he gained 50 lbs as a senior and transitioned to a wide receiver.[3] Brinkman was also a standout in golf, earning all-city honors after helping his team win the Greater Cincinnati League title as a senior.[2][4] He accepted a grant-in-aid scholarship to play college football at Louisville, following in the footsteps of his brother Gerard.[5][6]
College career
Brinkman played for the freshman team at Louisville in 1967.[7] He joined the varsity team as a sophomore, playing the tight end position.[8] Brinkman also took over punting duties after an injury to Wally Oyler.[8][9] In his punting debut, he recorded punts of 59 and 47 yards.[8] The following week, Brinkman recorded an 89-yard punt against Tulsa which pinned them inside the 10-yard line and resulted in a safety a few plays later.[8] Louisville head coach Frank Camp called his punt "the turning point" of their 16–7 victory.[10] It set a new school record, far surpassing the previous mark of 65 yards,[10] and ended up being the longest punt in the nation that season.[3] Brinkman was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) offensive player of the week for his performance.[11] As a junior in 1969, Brinkman emerged as Louisville's leading receiver, making 25 catches for 357 yards and five touchdowns.[12] He caught two touchdowns in a 31–21 defeat to his hometown team, Cincinnati.[13]
Ahead of his senior season, Brinkman was elected team captain by his teammates.[14] The Cardinals were picked to finish last in the conference in the coaches' preseason poll.[15] However, they won the conference title after going undefeated in conference play.[16] Louisville earned a berth to the Pasadena Bowl, where Brinkman seemingly caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Cardinals running back Tom Jesukaitis on a broken play, though it was called back due to an illegal forward pass.[17] The game ended in a 24–24 tie.[17] Brinkman finished his senior season with a team-high 48 catches for 647 yards and four touchdowns,[18] earning a unanimous selection to the all-MVC team as well as honorable mention All-American honors from the Associated Press.[19][20] He also recorded 26 punts for 853 yards, averaging 32.8 yards per punt.[21] Brinkman was named the team's most outstanding senior.[22]