Dude Perfect

Dude Perfect is a sports and comedy entertainment group who got their start on YouTube. Most known for their trick shots, they are also involved in comedy with their "Stereotypes" series, in which they poke fun at common stereotypes, mostly in the sports world. The group consists of Coby and Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones, and Tyler Toney who are all former high school basketball players^[1] and college roommates at Texas A&M University.^[2]
The group commented that their shots typically relied more on American football skills than basketball.^[3]

History[edit]

The group was betting on sandwiches via basketball shots in their backyard, which were eventually recorded on camera, and a video of trick shots at Toney's ranch was eventually released on YouTube.^[4] Within a week, the video received 100,000 views. When asked about the name, Jones stated,^[5]

“

"Our camera guy, Sean, set the camera down on a ledge. When he turned on the camera, Tyler was already in the frame and he just said 'dude, perfect' and said that he barely had to move the camera. When we went back to edit the video, we heard that the twins (Coby and Cory) had the mindset to brand this and called it Dude Perfect.

”

Afterwards, a trick shot video from the Christian summer camp Sky Ranch was released, which, as of June 2015, has over 13.9 million views.^[6] For every 100,000 views the video received, Dude Perfect pledged to sponsor a child from Compassion International.^[4] Afterwards, ESPN's E:60 contacted the group for a segment, and on the third floor of Texas A&M's Kyle Field, Toney converted a shot, which traveled 3.9 seconds, which was a world record at the time. The shot prompted television appearances on ESPN's First Take, Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn and SportsNation. Eventually, Dude Perfect introduced the Panda mascot, who "developed a cult following at A&M basketball games" when taunting players of the opposing team.^[5]
Later, the group received professional endorsements and requests, which began with then-Sacramento Kings player Tyreke Evans, in an effort to promote Evans' run for Rookie of the Year.^[7] Dude Perfect also worked with Australian bowler Jason Belmonte, country singer Tim McGraw, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll & quarterback Russell Wilson, and Heisman Trophy winner and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel^[8][9] at Kyle Field,^[10] Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill,^[11] the U. S. Olympic team,^[12] NASCAR drivers Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Travis Pastrana, James Buescher and IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe at Texas Motor Speedway,^[13] New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.,^[14] and St. Louis Rams players Greg Zuerlein, John Hekker, and Jacob McQuaide.^[15] The group also worked with A&M wideout Travis Labhart, and later they collaborated with the hockey team Dallas Stars' forward duo Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. They also have shot videos with fellow trick shot maestro Brodie Smith, and YouTube singer Luke Conard. The group has also interviewed National Basketball Association stars including, but not limited to: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul, in their period as the United States men's national basketball team.
In 2009, the group set the world record for the longest basketball shot after shooting from the third deck of Kyle Field. The record was jeopardized by Legendary Shots, who made a shot from Birmingham, Alabama's Vulcan statue, but in October 2010, Dude Perfect extended their record with a "cross-tower" shot, which was 216 feet (66 m) high, and the basket was 150 ft (46 m) away from the tower's base.^[16] In March 2011, Dude Perfect unofficially^[a] extended the record with a shot from the top of Reliant Stadium, which lasted 5.3 seconds.^[5][17] In January 2014, the group successfully attempted a shot from the 561 ft (171 m)-high Reunion Tower, with Jones and Hilbert holding the basket at the base of the tower.^[2]
Despite their success, questions arose over the legitimacy of the group's tricks; Good Morning America hosted a segment about the tricks and whether they were real,^[18] though experts contacted by GMA stated they were unable to find evidence of the tricks being fake.^[1] Regarding the doubts, Jones stated, "We love it when people say it’s fake because it makes the shots seem even more ridiculously impossible; and we get more publicity and hits and YouTube so we love the mystery of knowing whether it’s real or fake."^[4] Toney, Coby and Cory Cotton stated that it takes multiple attempts when filming before successfully converting the final shots.^[3]
In 2011, Dude Perfect launched a mobile game for iOS and Android, self-titled Dude Perfect.^[19][20] Additionally, Cory Cotton authored a nationally published book titled Go Big in which he shares the secrets the group has learned along the way building a business in a world largely influenced by social media. Dude Perfect has recently made videos with the Seattle Seahawks and now produce the popular face off series in which 2 members square off in sporting events held at the Dude Perfect Office
In June of 2015 the group was selected by the Harlem Globetrotters in their annual player draft. ^[21]