Georgia Assistant Dell McGee Honors James Cook Following Death of RB's Father

Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports

Georgia running back James Cook missed Friday's Peach Bowl following his father's unexpected death, but assistant coach Dell McGee made sure Cook was still a part of the game.

McGee, the Bulldogs' running backs coach, decided to wear Cook's No. 4 jersey on the sideline for the top-10 matchup. 

Georgia coach Kirby Smart announced earlier this week that Cook would miss the bowl game. 

"He's really close to his family and it's a really tough situation to be dealing with the loss of his father," Smart said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him. We support him 100 percent and all his teammates have his back. We just want him to be with his family and do the best he can to deal with this at this time."

Cook, the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook, returned to South Florida on Wednesday to be with his family. His father, James, was 46 years old.

As the Bulldogs' second-leading rusher this season, Cook had 45 carries for 303 yards and three touchdowns. The junior also added 16 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns.