"[2] He was nicknamed "Cookie Monster", and due to his unassuming appearance hiding world-class talent, "the Clark Kent of one-pocket".
[3] As a child, born in Lima, Ohio, Cook suffered debilitating bone deterioration in his right hip, from ages 5 to 10, preventing him from playing running sports, and leading to a focus on hand–eye coordination games.
[3] By his teens, Cook was a local champion at table tennis and golf (also winning the National Putter Tournament at 15), as well an accomplished bowler.
[3] He managed a pool hall in Springfield, Ohio, and in 1968 moved to Tampa, Florida where he ran Dale Mabry Billiards with his friend and one-pocket mentor[1][3] Lewis Alexander Goff for several years.
Cook was also one of a number of contributing authors to the one-pocket book Shots, Moves and Strategies: As Taught by the Game's Greatest Players (edited by Eddie Robin),[1] now a highly sought-after collector's item.