Who is Tarik Cohen, football’s Week 1 fantasy darling?
By Josh Hill
Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen burst onto the scene in a big way on Sunday, but don’t feel bad if you don’t know who he is.
Each year, straight out of the gate in Week 1, we encounter players who turn in fantastic performances and boost their fantasy football cred. It doesn’t mean they’re promised prolonged success in their careers, but one-week wonders are what make the thirst of fantasy football so intense.
Tarik Cohen, the Chicago Bears all-purpose back, is that guy this year.
Cohen lit the Atlanta Falcons up on Sunday, going for 113 all-around yards and a touchdown. Given the fact the Bears were supposed to get punted into Lake Michigan by the Falcons, Cohen’s performance and how much it kept Chicago in the game is even more impressive.
Check out this play, where he runs around the Falcons defense and makes just about everyone look silly:
But who the hell is he? Don’t feel bad if you had never heard of nor considered Tarik Cohen before Sunday. What’s the point of an arrival game if people already know your name?
Folks in Chicago listened to him sing the Seventh Inning Stretch at a Cubs game and probably couldn’t pick him out of a grocery line before Sunday.
He was a fourth round pick for Chicago this year out of North Carolina Agricultural & Techincal State University. That’s not a goofy way of saying the school is under the radar, that’s the actual name of the college Cohen attended.
Just from that, you can start to imagine that this kid has special skills that are already helping him stand above in the NFL. Cohen rushed for almost 6,000 career yards at North Carolina A&T, improving his rushing totals each year. He capped out in his senior year, setting school records in just about every major statistical category.
One major thing he also did his senior year was honed his pass-catching skills. That’s really sexy if you’re a Bears fan hoping Cohen can turn into a Darren Sproles type player who can both run hungry and also be a threat in the passing game.
Pass-catching running backs are a special breed in the NFL, and Cohen looks the part of a guy who could help Jordan Howard as a backfield partner.
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Maybe he’s just a one-week wonder, no one knows. The Falcons defense is nothing to sneeze at, and Cohen is nothing is not a bright spot for a Bears fan base desperate for something good to look forward to this season. If you didn’t already know his name, remember who Tarik Cohen is moving forward.