BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There is a lot of storylines heading into Monday Night's game between the Bills and Jets. It is the first game of the season for both teams, it is a divisional matchup, and it is also a family affair.
The starting running backs for both teams are brothers. Bills running back James Cook will go against his older brother Dalvin Cook, one of the newest members of the New York Jets.
"Sometimes I have to pinch myself," said Von White, James, and Dalvin's mother. "It's a proud moment for the family, it's a proud moment for friends, it's a proud moment for everybody."
Monday will be the second time the Cook brothers have played in the same NFL game. Last season was the first time, but that was when Dalvin Cook was with the Minnesota Vikings. Now that Dalvin Cook is on the Jets, the brothers will play each other twice this year as divisional foes.
"Now this year they're going to play each other twice," emphasized Von White, the Cooks' mother. "Every time we talk about it, I get knots in my stomach."
White said she will be at both regular season matchups this year.
"I love Bills Mafia," exclaimed White.
So, who does White root for? 7 News reporter Michael Schwartz asked the football mom.
"No one . . . I just pray both do good, and whoever wins, wins," explained White. "I guess it's a win-win situation. May the best brother win!"
7 News reporter Michael Schwartz spoke to White, and the oldest Cook brother Deandre "Dre" Burnett.
SCHWARTZ: "Both James and Dalvin on the same field. Does it get any better than that?"
WHITE: "It doesn't get any better than that. To see them on the same field it's just like unbelievable like is this really real? It's just a surreal moment. At the same time, you're nervous, you're all over the place, you don't even know what's going on. You're just like these are my sons do good! The day is like a blur."
BURNETT: "It's real special," explained Dre. "To think we dreamed it growing up. I mean we didn't know it was going to be Dalvin and the youngest brother playing against each other. It took an unexpected turn, but it's a great feeling seeing those guys fulfill their dreams and make the whole family proud of them."
SCHWARTZ: "So you're their brother . . . who do you got?"
BURNETT: "That's the toughest question right there! I just want to see them both be well, and we celebrate them, and uplift whoever lost knowing it's still a long season. Whoever loses can still come back stronger from it and have a good year."
SCHWARTZ: "This story teaches that if there's brothers out there, no matter how competitive the game may be, you got to stay close."
WHITE: "Yes, and it's very important the younger siblings look up to Dalvin. It's very important to lead the way, and that's what it is. I see my brothers doing it, and I want it, and I'm going to get it. That's what this is all about, family, faith, and football."
BURNETT: "Yeah, we're a tight knit family. We grew up in a household, it was a lot of us. To this day when they're home, we get together and try to do things. Family is all you got, and we've had that understanding since we were kids. It was instilled in us from our great great-great grandmother, down to our grandmother, down to our mom and that's how we carry it out to this day.”
Burnett was a successful football player growing up in Miami and played multiple positions. Unlike his brothers, he became a professional athlete on the basketball court. After college hoops, Burnett went on to play in the British Basketball League and Ukrainian Basketball Superleague until 2020.
Today, Burnett is a police officer in Florida, but still makes time to watch his brothers.
"I like to see them reach their full potential," explained Burnett. "I really dissect the game and send text messages after the game to let them know what I saw. ‘Hey, your pass protection was good this game. I'm really involved in it. I'm dialed in and paying attention."
Monday will be the first time Dre will see his brother play on the same field in person.
"I’m excited for it," said Dre. "Pretty important day. 9/11 on a Monday night, that's a game you can't miss."
WHITE: "I watch every game, every game. If I'm not there I'm watching, and praying that Dalvin and James don't intertwine with each other. I'm nervous at every game, been like that since they were little. Every single game I'm nervous."
SCHWARTZ: "What was that like when they played?"
WHITE: "They were crazy because you know what's so crazy James was younger than them. You have Dalvin that's 28, and Dre that's 29, and James is 23. So James used to carry their equipment, he used to be in their practices. I used to tell him to come here, and the coach was like 'leave him alone!'"
BURNETT: "At my college practices [James] used to be on the other side of the court creating his own workout. While I'm on court with my team he's on other side of the court working out."
Burnett and Dalvin Cook are the closest in age and have always competed the most from football growing up, to a holiday card game. Burnett said Dalvin Cook’s eye to find a hole in the defense is “next level.” He said it has been that way since they were kids.
Burnett said James is laid back, but that does not stop him from being of the hardest working people Burnett knows.
"Everyone thinks James doesn't smile," said White. "James is a very funny person. He really is. He has me laughing all the time. So, he likes to crack jokes, and smiles and then when it's time for him to be serious and quiet he is quiet though."
SCHWARTZ: "How about Dalvin?"
WHITE: "Oh, Dalvin is Dalvin. What you see is what you get. Dalvin is straight forward. He likes to crack jokes too. Just being around them is a ball of fun, they're just normal people. What you see on the field is football time, but they do have personalities outside of football and they're very, very interesting."
In the end White said the three biggest parts of the family's life is faith, football, and family.
"Football is everything to them," said White. When it's football season James is locked in. He's definitely locked in and ready to go, and I think this game means much more to him now. He's very, very excited for this game."
