TAMPA -- During Thursday's preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jaguars rookie specialist Logan Cooke served in several roles. While his main jobs were as a punter and a kickoff specialist, his biggest impact was felt with a massive hit on Tampa Bay wide receiver Bobo Wilson.
With 13 seconds left in the third quarter, Cooke booted a 67-yard kickoff to the end zone. Wilson was able to break free for a 36-yard return but was met with a massive smack by the Jaguars' rookie punter at the Tampa Bay 34-yard line. Cooke was flagged for lowering his head to initiate contact, adding 15 yards to Wilson's strong return.
Despite the penalty, the Jaguars' bench exploded with celebration, as Cooke's adrenaline fueled an energetic reaction of his own. Bravado and big hits aren't what you typically expect from a punter but most of those specialists aren't 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds.
"I played both [offense and defense] in high school, so that's something that every time I get a chance, I try not to get run over and look stupid," Cooke said after the game. "I kind of like the contact part whenever I get a good chance. It's fun."
Following the 25-10 win over the Buccaneers, the Jaguars locker room was still talking about Cooke's massive hit. The former Mississippi State standout made his own "welcome to the NFL" moment with the collision.
"I was very pumped," rookie quarterback Tanner Lee said with a laugh. "He's a big guy, so he should be laying hits."
Cooke's teammates like seeing toughness from a specialist. Punters, kickers and long snappers aren't known for their jaw-dropping hits. The seventh-round pick may have changed that perception in the locker room.
"That was pretty nasty," nose tackle Eli Ankou said regarding the hit. "That was a good hit. I'm impartial to the call but that's up to [the referees]. He's a dog for that [hit]."
The legality of Cooke's hit will be debated this week, as he is subject to a fine for the flagged play. This will be the first infraction of the rookie's career and the fine could take a decent chunk out of his $480,000 base salary.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will review the play this weekend. Marrone believes hits like Cooke's should typically be avoided.
"Again, we don't want those types of hits," Marrone said during his post-game press conference. "We want that out of the game. But at the same time, we've got to do a better job of coaching [the players] to make sure [they are] using the proper technique. That's the one thing we've been preaching all of camp. We show them videos that come from the league office and everything we possibly can, not just for him but all the players. Obviously, he's an athletic kid and he shows that he'll go up there and hopefully we never have to see that again where he is but if he is, we will make sure he has the proper technique."
The sideline slam may be the biggest takeaway from Cooke's strong summer. The rookie said that even his big hits in college paled in comparison to the collision with Wilson.
"Nothing like that [hit on Wilson]," Cooke said about his college tackling prowess. "Nothing that serious. I definitely had some tackles and a couple of blindside blocks that would probably get called today."
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter: @Mike_E_Kaye.