Oct. 9, 2015
C Cole Honorary Captain Photo Gallery 
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By DARREN MILLER
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — There were times in Colin Cole’s football career when the easy thing to do would have been walking away. But the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, isn’t wired that way.
Cole played as a true freshman for the University of Iowa in 1999, a year that produced one win and 10 losses. During that offseason, Cole wanted to return to Florida for good, but close friends and his parents convinced him to stay.
“If I left the University of Iowa, I wasn’t guaranteed to play anywhere else, anything could happen,” Cole said Friday in the Stew and LeNore Hansen Football Performance Center. “I was better fit to stay here, remain a Hawkeye, and make the best of it. It was the best decision I ever made.”
Cole’s final season at the University of Iowa produced an 11-2 record and Big Ten championship. He was named team captain, co-Most Valuable Player, first-team All-Big Ten, and second-team All-America.
But he wasn’t drafted into the National Football League.
Cole worked his tail off on practice squads for Detroit and Minnesota. He signed with Green Bay in 2004 and is now playing in his 10th NFL season.
“That might have been one of the best things to happen to me as far as playing career goes,” Cole said of going undrafted. “Having to fight my way for a few years gave me the hunger to be a certain type of person and not allow myself to be somebody who would probably be out of the business right now.
“(If I was drafted) I would have been complacent; I would have felt like I knew it all. Who knows how my career would have been different had I been drafted and been given a ton of money coming out of school. At the time I was heartbroken, but for the longevity of my career I’m appreciative of the fact I had to work so hard to be where I am.”
With Cole on the roster, the Packers won two NFC North titles and played in the NFC Championship in 2007. From 2009-10 Cole was with Seattle. In 2010, the Seahawks — at 7-9 in the regular season — became the first NFL team with a sub-.500 record to make the playoffs; they defeated New Orleans, 41-36, in a Wild Card game.
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“(If I was drafted) I would have been complacent; I would have felt like I knew it all. Who knows how my career would have been different had I been drafted and been given a ton of money coming out of school. At the time I was heartbroken, but for the longevity of my career I’m appreciative of the fact I had to work so hard to be where I am.”
Colin Cole
UI defensive tackle |
“It’s about establishing relationships and befriending people the outside world considers to be super stars,” Cole said. “That has been more important to me than singular plays or games.”
Cole was without an NFL team from 2011-12, then joined Carolina in 2013 and has been there since. Despite his long career, he is motivated by linemen Ray Brown, who played 20 seasons, and Pat Williams and Sam Adams, who played 14 seasons.
“Because of those guys, I know that if I am aching, I can manage,” Cole said.
The 35-year-old Cole is preparing for life after football. He owns a couple businesses and within the next few weeks he will be on a radio show. He is considering public speaking, something he never would have been able to do without the University of Iowa.
“I used to be terrified of having to get in front of people,” said Cole, who credits acting classes at the UI for helping him become more comfortable. “I’m able to get my message across and I’m happy I can touch people.”
It was rewarding for Cole to see the Hawkeye football program improve from 1-10, to 3-9, to 7-5, to 11-2. In 2002, UI offensive linemen included seniors Eric Steinbach, Ben Sobieski, Andy Lightfoot, Bruce Nelson, and David Porter.
“We were built on the front end moving back on both sides of the ball and that’s how we were able to turn the program around,” Cole said.
An adage Cole lives by today is “Break the Rock,” started by strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle during the 2000 season.
“It is all about collective, daily effort,” Cole said. “There is no culmination of, ‘Here it is, now I’ve done it, now the rest of my life goes on.’ It’s about consistently and constantly doing what it takes on a day-in and day-out basis to maintain the high level of play.”
Cole has played 117 NFL games with 57 starts. He has recorded 170 solo tackles, 92 assists, and 5 ½ sacks in his professional career.
Cole will accompany the Iowa captains to the center of the field for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. He will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game.
The undefeated and 22nd ranked Hawkeyes (5-0) take on Illinois (4-1) for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:01 a.m. (CT); the game will be televised n ESPN2.
