Buffalo Bills running back James Cook knows how much his parents, James Cook Sr. and Varondria White, always wanted to see him succeed. Undoubtedly, James Cook Sr. smiled from heaven after his son’s special performance against the Denver Broncos in the Wildcard playoffs.
Immediately after the Bills destroyed the Broncos 31-7 in the playoff game, Varondria White shared a photo of James’ stats from the match.
James racked up 120 yards rushing, including a 5-yard touchdown run in the victory against the Broncos. This was also his first 100+ yard rush in a playoff game.
Proud momma Varondria captioned her post,
“Keep breaking records, keep proving them wrong. I love you. On to the next. Good is so Good.”
Via Facebook
The Buffalo Bills drafted James Cook in the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft.
His older brother, Dalvin, was drafted in the second round as well, but by the Vikings five years ago.
Dalvin, who now plays for the Cowboys, couldn’t make it to the playoff with his side but cheered for his brother on his social media page like their mom.
The Bills will face the Ravens next in the playoff series, and James, who has run for 1,009 yards and recorded 16 rushing touchdowns this season, will look to make another major impact.
The NFL Player James Cook Comes From A Large Family
Dalvin and James Cook aren’t the only children of their parents.
James Cook Sr. and Varondria White had six children together: DeAndre Burnett, Dalvin, Daneshia, James, Jameisha, and Jamiya.
James Cook Sr. also had another son named Demarcus from a previous relationship.
Despite being present for all of his kids, James Cook Sr. had a strong bond with his older son, Dalvin Cook.
In 2020, James missed the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl game against Cincinnati after he found out his father had passed away at 46 due to complications from diabetes.
Before his demise, James Cook Sr. had already lost his leg movement and would use a wheelchair.
Varondria White, now a single parent, lives in Miami, Florida, and is a Certified Medical Assistant at Home Health Aide.
Since James Cook Sr’s demise, Varondria has moved on and has settled down with T’Andre.
Dalvin Cook Says His Brother, James Cook Deserves $20 Million Per Year
After a spectacular performance by James Cook against the Denver Broncos, Dalvin Cook couldn’t help but show his happiness on X.
Earlier in the game, James’ five-yard touchdown put the Buffalo Bills ahead 10-7 in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Reacting to the play, Dalvin Cook wrote, “$20M / year.“
James is still under his rookie contract and will make $1.5 million next season.
$20M / year 💰 https://t.co/AkJJQdn8TB
— Dalvin “4️⃣” Cook (@dalvincook) January 12, 2025
Currently, the highest-paid running back in the league is Christian McCaffrey, with $19 million.
He signed a two-year extension with the 49ers in June 2024 worth $38 million.
In 2023, Christian McCaffrey was crowned the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and has made it in the First-Team All-Pro three times.
So, to get that $20 million/year contract, James probably will have to be more consistent over the years and prove to the Bills that he can be one of the star men and a leader for the franchise.
The two Cook brothers grew up competing against each other.
In an interview with Good Morning Football, James said he was the better running back than his brother.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- James Cook’s older brother, DeAndre Burnett, played basketball at the University of Miami before transferring to Ole Miss. DeAndre played two seasons of professional basketball overseas after he was drafted by the Leicester Riders in the UK in 2018 and played one season in the Ukrainian Basketball Superleague.
- During the game against the New England Patriots in January 2025, James Cook tied O.J. Simpson’s franchise record of 16th rushing touchdowns.
- James Cook Sr., a Jamaican music enthusiast, owned a mobile car wash business.