Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was a full participant at mandatory minicamp, and he detailed why that was.

The Jets in 2010 were considered on the cusp of glory. As a wild card, they’d reached the AFC Championship Game in coach Rex Ryan’s rookie season and, in trying to get over that hump, were desperate to topple the New England Patriots from atop the division.

Cook, 25, has skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program, including workouts in April and OTAs on May 27–29, June 2, and June 5. He was the only Bills player absent in May, as 89 of 90 players were in attendance. The team’s mandatory minicamp, scheduled for June 10–12, looms as another key moment in the negotiation timeline.

Cook overcame the odds to claim British and European titles and, as Steve Bunce writes, establish himself as one of the sport’s most liked and respected fighters