Judah Cooks, the two-time All-Met and three-time all-American soccer player from Whitman High School whose college soccer career had been on hold because of legal problems, joined the nationally ranked Maryland men's team yesterday after the university cleared him to play.
Cooks pleaded no contest Sept. 22 to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from his April 18 arrest in Sanibel, Fla., as a high school senior.
"I believe in people, and I believe in second chances," Maryland Coach Sasho Cirovski said. "The university took this matter very seriously . . . and I'm going to insist Judah be a model citizen in all respects."
Cooks had signed with Rutgers, but was turned away for what the university called academic reasons. He entered Maryland as a freshman in September without an athletic scholarship.
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Cooks also had been charged with a felony count of aggravated assault after his Florida arrest, but the charge was dropped. He was sentenced to one year of probation, a $440 fine for restitution and $400 in fines and court costs on the battery charge.
Cooks had trouble with the law earlier in his senior year as well, when he was forced to do community service work for his involvement in a party at a Rockville hotel that included underage drinking.
Cooks played on the U.S. under-17 national team in the 1993 world championships in Japan, where he scored three goals in a 5-1 win over Qatar. He also scored in a loss to Colombia.
Cirovski said Cooks is versatile enough to play in the midfield or as a forward for the Terrapins. He did not indicate when Cooks would be ready tp play in a game, however.
Maryland, 8-4-1 and ranked No. 17, has just six regular season games remaining, including tonight's game against Robert Morris. Cirovski said he didn't know if there is enough time for Cooks to make an impact on the team. CAPTION: JUDAH COOKS
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