Former McKendree University wide receiver and return specialist Matt Cole recently signed with the National Football League's Washington Commanders.
Cole, who is now with his seventh NFL team since 202o, signed with the Commanders after being waived on May 13, 2022 by the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle signed Cole to their practice squad on Dec. 14, 2021 and signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks in January 2022, before begin waived during the offseason.
With Washington, Cole is expected to add depth to the Commanders' wide receiver corps, according to a release from the Commanders announcing his signing.
In addition to Seattle and Washington, Cole has also been on the rosters of the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.
Cole, who was a four-year lettermen for the Bearcats from 2016-19, began his professional career with the Miami Dolphins after signing as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2020 and was waived on Sept. 5, 2020 during final roster cuts and was signed to the Dolphins practice squad.
On Dec. 24, 2020, Cole signed a two-year contract off the Dolphins' practice squad with the 49ers and he made his professional debut on San Francisco's regular season finale of the 2020 season and made two tackles on special team in a 26-23 loss to Seattle. Cole was waived by the 49ers on May 4, 2021.
One day after his release from the 49ers, the New York Jets claimed Cole off waivers, but the Jets waived him on Aug. 6, 2021 after playing one preseason game. Cole then signed with the Giants one day after his release by the Jets and played in the team's final two preseason games before being waived on final cut day on Aug. 31.
Following his release from the Giants, Cole was signed to the Giants practice squad for the 2021 season, but was released by the Giants about a month later on Sept. 28, 2021 and signed to Carolina's practice squad on Oct. 4, 2021.
Cole, who is a native of Chicago, Ill., and prepped at Curie High School, was a receiver and return specialist with the Bearcats and as a senior in 2019, he was named the Great Lakes Valley Special Team Player of the Year, a First-Team All-GLVC selection and a First-Team D2Football.com All-American. In 2019, he caught 43 passes for 939 yards, while also returning 23 kickoffs for 625 yards and one touchdown and had eight punt returns for 208 yards and one touchdown. His 1,832 all-purpose yards in 2019 are a single season school record.
As a senior in 2019, Cole rewrote several lines in the Bearcats' record book as he led McKendree with 43 receptions for 939 yards with 12 touchdown catches and established new single-season records for receiving yards and TDs. Of his 12 touchdown grabs, nine of them covered at least 40 yards, and averaged slightly more than 48 yards per scoring grab.
In his four year McKendree career, Cole is fourth on the school's all-time chart in all-purpose yards (3,583 yards), second in career kick return yards (1,400 yards) and holds the school's all-time mark in career receiving yards (1,618) and career receiving touchdowns (17). He was a two-time All-GLVC selection and a three-year starter at wide receiver for the Bearcats.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up