I first met Beano Cook as a college student — with a group of older journalists at a restaurant.
Even then, years ago, he was a character, a larger-than-life college football guru who did not mask his many opinions.
Cook died yesterday. He'll be miss, whether one thought of him as a clown or buffoon.
He was never short of thoughts. And he had a rationale (sometimes strange) for all of them.
He made college football cool before many did.
A friend mentioned that Beano was once asked about his favorite band.
He said Ohio State.
That was Beano Cook.
There's a void.
For longtime college football observers, Beano Cook was an icon, someone who seemingly would be around forever even with the myriad of changes.
But Cook, as we knew deep down, was human and mortal. He died Thursday.