Robin Cole

Last updated

Robin Cole
No. 56
Position: Linebacker
Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1955-09-11) September 11, 1955 (age 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Compton (Compton, California)
College: New Mexico
NFL Draft: 1977  / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:19.5
Interceptions:5
INT yards:79
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Robin Cole (born September 11, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers and later with the New York Jets. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos.

Contents

Childhood & Education

Cole was the seventh of ten children born to Obediah and Georgia Mae Cole. He attended high school at Compton High School, graduating in 1973. His cousin, Willie Davis, was a Hall of Fame defensive end for the Green Bay Packers who won five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls. [1]

He furthered his education at the University of New Mexico where he became an All American and the first person to be a first round draft pick out of the university. [2]

NFL

He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft. At Pittsburgh, he was a part of the Steel Curtain defense, replacing Andy Russell as right outside linebacker. He played linebacker and defensive end for twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. [2]

Cole played in two Super Bowls – Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. Mr. Cole was in the starting lineup in Super Bowl XIV in January 1980 and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1984. He was runner up for MVP in Super Bowl XIV, finishing behind Terry Bradshaw. [3]

He played one season, 1988, with the New York Jets.

Post-NFL

Since leaving the NFL after the 1988 season, Cole has served as a public speaker to corporate groups, business sales teams, sports teams, churches, schools and prisons. He has been a keynote speaker and emcee for many events, drawing on a message of inspiration and motivation as a cancer survivor. [4]

Cole is an entrepreneur and trained at the Ford Motor Institute to be a dealer. He and his brother Erick also operated a cheesecake company, Unforgettable Sweets, in Canton Township, Pennsylvania, which opened in 2005. [5]

In addition, he has served on several charitable boards, including the American Heart Association, The March of Dimes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and others. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP.

Cole was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, a disease that afflicted him and his two brothers, and eventually led to the death of father Obediah at age 50, and Obediah's twin brother – Robin's uncle – Ahab. [6] [7] As a result of the diagnosis (which Cole survived), he became the co-founder and president of the Obediah Cole Foundation, [6] which has also been cited as the Robin Cole Foundation for Prostate Cancer. [8]

He is the father of five children and grandfather of six. He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife, Judith, and their daughter, Mya.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl IX</span> 1975 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl IX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Minnesota Vikings to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1974 season. The game was played on January 12, 1975, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Steelers defeated the Vikings by the score of 16–6 to win their first Super Bowl championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl X</span> 1976 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl X was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1975 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 21–17 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. It was also the first Super Bowl in which both participating teams had previously won a Super Bowl, as the Steelers were the defending champions and the Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XIII</span> 1979 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1978 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 35–31. The game was played on January 21, 1979, at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, the fifth and last time that the Super Bowl was played in that stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XIV</span> 1980 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1979 season. The Steelers defeated the Rams by the score of 31–19, becoming the first team to win four Super Bowls. The game was played on January 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and was attended by a Super Bowl record 103,985 spectators. It was also the first Super Bowl where the game was played in the home market of one of the participants, as Pasadena is 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXX</span> 1996 edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1995 season. The Cowboys defeated the Steelers by the score of 27–17, winning their fifth Super Bowl in team history. The game was played on January 28, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the first time the Super Bowl was played in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Noll</span> American football player and coach (1932–2014)

Charles Henry Noll was an American professional football player and head coach. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, his sole head coaching position was for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1991. When Noll retired after 23 years, only three other head coaches in NFL history had longer tenures with one team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Farrior</span> American football player (born 1975)

James Alfred Farrior is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He played with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Vrabel</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Mike Vrabel is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a consensus All-American. Vrabel was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft, then joined the New England Patriots as a free agent in 2001, becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion and an All-Pro during his tenure, then finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Vrabel scored a receiving touchdown in consecutive Super Bowls, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX, becoming the only primarily defensive player to score in two Super Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Lambert (American football)</span> American football player (born 1952)

John Harold Lambert is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). Recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 as "the greatest linebacker of his era," Lambert was the starting middle linebacker for four Super Bowl-winning teams during an 11-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Lawrence Edward Foote Jr. is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the co-defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Foote previously served as the linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2015 to 2018. He played college football at Michigan and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark Haggans</span> American football player (1977–2023)

Clark Cromwell Haggans was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams as a defensive end, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Haggans played in the NFL from 2000 through 2012 for the Steelers, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl ring</span> National Football League award

The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl ring offers a collectible memento for the actual players and team members to keep for themselves to symbolize their victory. There are also rings provided to the runners-up team of the Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Kemoeatu</span> Tongan gridiron football player (born 1983)

Uikelotu Christopher Kemoeatu is a Tongan former professional American football guard. He played college football for the University of Utah Utes, and was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He is the younger brother of former NFL nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Harris</span> American football player (born 1948)

Clifford Allen Harris is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Super Bowls and was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls. Harris retired from football at 31 to focus on his work within the oil business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Curtain</span> Group of defensive American football players

The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls in six years.

Donnie Shell is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) between 1974 and 1987. Shell was a member of the Steelers famed Steel Curtain defense in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrone Carter</span> American football player (born 1973)

Tyrone M. Carter is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Minnesota, earned All-American honors and won several national awards. He has played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Washington Redskins of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Keisel</span> American football player (born 1978)

Brett Keisel is a former American football defensive end who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Brigham Young University.

Gerry Blaine Mullins is an American former professional football player who was a guard for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaMarr Woodley</span> American football player (born 1984)

LaMarr Dewayne Woodley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his second season, he won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Steelers. Woodley also played for the Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.

References

  1. ↑ O'Brien, Jim (August 23, 1981). Robin Turning Into Steelers' 'King' Cole. The Pittsburgh Press. pp. D-11.
  2. 1 2 "Robin Cole Agent | Speaker Fee | Booking Contact". www.nopactalent.com. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  3. ↑ Quinn, Bob (May 16, 2022). "Remembering A True 1980's Steelers Professional: Robin Cole". SteelerNation.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Robin Cole Speaker & Agent Info: Christian Speakers 360". www.christianspeakers360.com. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  5. ↑ Bradwell, Michael (February 20, 2006). "Sweet Obsession". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Joyce, Megan. "Former NFL Player, Prostate Cancer Advocate Joining Epic MEN'S Expo". 50 Plus Life.
  7. ↑ Dyer, Ervin (April 25, 2007). "Relatives aim to raise prostate cancer awareness in dad's memory". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. F-1. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Robin Cole Foundation for Prostate Cancer Volunteer Opportunities - VolunteerMatch". www.volunteermatch.org. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.