Ashland University's football team has had a member of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team in each of the last four seasons.
 
Eagle senior punter/quarterback Jaden Cook is looking to become the program's fifth Good Works Team member in five years, as he was announced as a 2025 nominee by the AFCA on Tuesday (July 15) morning.
 
Cook has been Ashland's punter each of the last two seasons. His 42.6-yard average in 2024 is fourth-best in a season in program history, and his 41.5-yard career average puts him third in Eagle annals. Of his 33 boots last fall, 12 were fair caught.
 
Among Cook's community service efforts are working as a church youth leader, AU Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) huddle leader, Upward Basketball coach, youth football coach/referee, American Red Cross blood drive worker, and Special Olympics worker.
 
He also is part of AU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

A Business Management major, Cook sports a 3.36 cumulative grade-point average through the 2025 spring semester.

Cook is one of a record 197 student-athletes nominated for the 2025 team.

The final roster of 23 award recipients announced in September will bring together:

• 11 players from the NCAA FBS
• 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
• 1 honorary head coach

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

Ashland football has had five members of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team since 2016 – Zach Bernhard (2016), Austin Phillips (2021), Austin Brenner (2022), Trent Maddox (2023) and Dru Johnson (2024). The streak of four straight years with a team member is the sixth-longest in the history of the Good Works Team.
 
The impressive list of AU football Good Works Team members and nominees follows:
  2025 – Jaden Cook
2024 – Dru Johnson (named to Good Works Team)
2023 – Trent Maddox (named to Good Works Team)
2022 – Austin Brenner (named to Good Works Team)
2021 – Austin Phillips (named to Good Works Team)
2019 – Clay Shreve
2018 – Travis Downing
2016 – Zach Bernhard (named to Good Works Team)