HOOVER, Ala. — Leading up to his final season at Arkansas, Brey Cook spent his summer working at the Walmart AMP as a security guard, protecting some of the biggest names in entertainment.
The senior offensive lineman’s job with the Razorbacks has been to protect Tyler Wilson and Brandon Allen, but his job at the AMP involved keeping country music stars such as Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert safe.
“It’s been so much fun to see some of these great people come perform,” Cook said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “It’s been a lot of fun to just be out there and see these legends.”
Sophomore offensive lineman Dan Skipper joined Cook during the summer and the pair worked at opposite ends of the stage. Between the two, they weigh a combined 638 pounds and stand 13-feet, 5-inches.
While Cook figured no one would recognize him, that hasn’t been the case, as several fans have noticed the Razorback football player working security.
“That happens quite often, more than I thought it would actually,” Cook said. “I go in there incognito, but that doesn’t really work out.”
The job has its risks, but Cook and Skipper have not been in any positions where they have had to keep people from storming the stage.
“Nothing too crazy comes to mind,” Cook said. “There are a couple guys that get rowdy every once in a while, but nobody is too rambunctious.”
That is a reason for relief for head coach Bret Bielema and the rest of the coaching staff, who Cook said were cool with him working the security position.
In fact, his job has given Cook an opportunity to see several of the coaches and their families in a non-football environment.
“I actually saw Coach B at the Miranda Lambert concert last week,” Cook said. “I ran into him and some of the other coaches. It’s cool to see all of them out there in public, away from football.”