Cory Cotton (born: July 17, 1987 [Age: 32]) is one of the original cast five members “and a Panda” of the YouTube channel known as Dude Perfect. This popular star has a twin brother named Coby Cotton. The Cotton Brothers produce a series of tricks, games, and challenges that got them listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Cory Cotton Early Beginnings

Cory and Coby Cotton were born identical twins to their parents, Larry and Diann Cotton. Technically, he is the younger of the two.  Young Cory was born just one minute shy of his identical twin. This is an achievement that he likes to rag on his brother about from time to time. Being the second born has earned Cory Cotton the moniker of “Twin 2.” On top of this twin, the family also has a daughter by the name of Catherine Cotton.

Cory’s dad is a pastor. He raised his family in Austin, Texas. A Texas native, he wanted to stay in the Lone Star State. Therefore, when it was time for the identical Cotton twins to graduate, they decided to not stray too far from home. They both enrolled at Texas A&M University for their continued education opportunties. Little did they know that this decision was be the most positive life-altering decision they could have made.

While enrolled, the duo excelled in college sports. This result was a natural transition for the twosome as they were top players for their high school basketball time.  Their expertise on the court made them stars and standouts on the squad during their college years.

Cory and his brother caught the eye of scouts, advertisers, and friends alike. During his time at Texas A&M University, Cory and Coby met:

• Garrett Hilbert
• Cody Jones
• Tyler Toney

These three were a mixture of roommates who also played basketball in either high school and/or college. Furthermore, these three also had a combined interest in capturing videos and editing them. After some brainstorming sessions, the fivesome discussed how they can merge their interests and love for competition. It was during this college hackathons that the precipice of Dude Perfect took form.

The Birth of Dude Perfect

When the five started kicking around ideas for content, they began betting on sandwiches with a basketball shooting contest in the backyard. After they got their formula and chemistry down a bit, they decided to start recording these games. The first video to gain traction was shot in Tyler Toney’s backyard. This video featured trick shots. After just one week on YouTube, the video reached 200,000 views. Dude Perfect was born and set up shop in Frisco, Texas.

After the release of the Tyler Tony backyard video, the Dude Perfect group went viral. Striking while the iron’s hot, they shot another trick shot video. This time their location was at a Christian summer camp known as Sky Ranch. It was an instant hit and to this day has 18 million views.

When ESPN caught wind of the video, they had the Dude Perfect group on their network. The sports conglomerate hosted a segment from the third floor of the Kyle Field at Texas A&M University. On this show, Roney converted a shot that traveled 2.9 seconds. This presentation set a world record at the time. From there, the Dude Perfect crew propped up on shows such as:

• ESPN’s First Take
• Pardon the Interruption
• Around the Horn
• SportsNation

At this point, Dude Perfect was an upward trajectory. Here, Cory Cotton decided to transform the group and help it grow more than ever before.

The Panda and Dude Perfect Growth 

A cult following grew beyond Dude Perfect when they decided to unleash their greatest marketing tactic–The Panda. Their mascot was used at Texas A&M games to show support for the maroon and white. With fans using little pandas to taunt opposing team, the love for Dude Perfect was undeniable.

Based on their success, Cory Cotton’s business was offered endorsement payments. In fact, Dude Perfect was paid a hefty sum to endorse Tyreke Evans. At the time, the former Sacramento King was campaigning for Rookie of the Year.

Riding the wave of success, Cory Cotton and crew showed up on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.  Clearly accepted by celebrity pop culture, the YouTube stars continued to carve out their niche, rubbing elbows with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood and sports.

Cory Cotton Celebrity Endorsements

Cory Cotton became a hot prospect in the world of YouTube and pop culture. He started to collaborate with some of the most elite athletes and celebrities brandishing the newspaper headlines.

The Cotton Brothers and company were featured in presentations that included:

• Aaron Rodgers
• Drew Brees
• Serena Williams
• Luke Bryan
• Chris Paul
• Jason Belmonte
• Paul Rudd
• Tim McGraw
• Pete Caroll
• Russell Wilson
  Ryan Swope
• Morgan Beck
• Johnn y Manziel
• Ryan Tannehill
• Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
• Travis Pastrana
• James Busehcer
• James Hincliffe
• Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
• Odel Beckham, Jr.
• Sean Payton
• Greg Zuerlein
• Johnny Hekker
• Jacob McQuaide

With a who’s who in Hollywood endorsing them, it was clear for Cory Cotton and company to take a step to the next level.

Cory Cotton Launches Dude Perfect App and Writes Book

On-demand over-the-top content is key for any brand surviving. Knowing this, Cory Cotton decided to launch the Dude Perfect app in 2011. It was a free game that was customized for iOs and Android platforms.

Following the success of the first game, the group launched Dude Perfect 2. Again, Cory Cotton saw success. Therefore, they diversified their app portfolio.

Now, the Dude Perfect brand creates mobile games that include:

• Endless Ducker
• That’s Lit

With the success of the app, Cory Cotton became an author. He penned his own book known as Go Big: Make Your Shot in the Connected World. In the book, the star shared stories about building his brand. He explained the hardships his group faced, how they persevered, and what they learned.

Cory Cotton and The Dude Perfect Show on CMT

While Cory Cotton was a viral sensation, executive producers saw bigger things for the star. Viacom reached out to the Dude Perfect brand about a potential partnership in 2015. By September of that year, The Dude Perfect Show aired on CMT.

The show was a hit. However, the demographic was a bit off. Fresh off being selected by the Harlem Globetrotters, Viacom execs decided to renew The Dude Perfect Show for a season two. However, they were moving to their sister network, a more kid-friendly Nickelodeon.

Dude Perfect Guinness Book of World Records

What keeps people coming back for more Cory Cotton content is the group’s uncanny ability to set World Records. In 2009, the group pulled off an impressive feat when they shot the longest basketball shot. They achieved this task from the fourth deck of Kyle Field at their alma mater. The video was recorded in October 10 with a cross over shot that landed 216 feet high and 150 feet away.

The group smashed their own record in March 2011. They shot their ball from the top of NRG Stadium in 5.3 seconds. They set another record on January 24 when they shot from 561 feet high at the Reunion Tower. Garrett Hilbert and Cody Jones were holding the basket down below!

Cory Cotton is capable of more than just basketballs. He set a record for having a set of balls. He and his crew walked barefoot across the longest Lego bridge. They lasted longer than anyone else. In addition, the group has a record for the longest pea blow.  That is the ability to take one breath for an extended period.

Cory Cotton and Editing Dude Perfect Videos

Cory is the editing brains behind the Dude Perfect brand. He prefers the cutting room and has a lot of influence on the music that’s used in the videos.

This Cotton Brother is mostly known for wearing a  yellow or green shirt. These are his army colors when he enters a battle. Fortunately for Cory, this seems to work in his favor.

Cory Cotton won:

• iPhone Game Battle
• Endless Ducker Battle
• Extreme Weather Golf Battle
• Build a Boat Battle
• Model Rocket 2 Battle
• Nerf Fortnite Blasters Battle
• All Sports Baseball Battle

Unfortunately for Cory, he lost Wheel of Unfortunate four times. However, this is lucky for the Dude Perfect brand. They have earned 8 billion views in total on YouTube. These views have translated into 43 million subscribers and counting. That has placed Dude Perfect as the second most subscribed to sports channel on YouTube. Furthermore, the channel boasts the number ninth most subscribed to channel slot across all genres.

Cory Cotton Personal Life 

While in the public eye, Cory fell in love. He married his sweetheart, Amy Surplus, on August 6, 2016. Funny enough, Cory and his wife would welcome their own set of twins into the world. Crew and Collins Cotton were born on November 30, 2018.

Sadly, Cory Cotton’s happy family witnessed a loss shortly after the twins entered the universe. Cory Cotton’s beloved grandfather, Cody Jones, passed away on February 24, 2019. Grandfather Jones was affectionately known as “The Old Guy” in a series of videos on the Dude Perfect channel known as Stereotypes. Mr. Jones was 84.