Cole Strange
{{Short description|American football player (born 1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Cole Strange
| image = New England Patriots visit USS Constitution (7468599) (Strange cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Strange with the New England Patriots in 2022 aboard the USS Constitution
| current_team = New England Patriots
| number = 69
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|07|31}}
| birth_place = Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 310
| high_school = Farragut {{avoid wrap|(Farragut, Tennessee)}}
| college = Chattanooga (2016–2021)
| draftyear = 2022
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 29
| pastteams =
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2022}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- 2× SoCon Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2020, 2021)
- First-team All-SoCon (2021)
- 3× Second-team All-SoCon (2018–2020)
| statweek =
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 30
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 29
| pfr = StraCo01
}}
Devin Cole Strange (born July 31, 1998) is an American professional football offensive guard for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Chattanooga Mocs and was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Early life
Strange grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended Farragut High School.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Chris |date=November 10, 2016 |title=Where are they Now? Cole Strange |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/11/10/where-they-now-cole-strange/93497100/ |access-date=February 14, 2022 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel}} He primarily played defensive end at Farragut and was named the Knoxville Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after recording 103.5 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.{{cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/02/02/farraguts-cole-strange-going-to-air-force-after-chattanooga-decommitment/90837410/|title=Farragut's Cole Strange going to Air Force after Chattanooga decommitment|first=Chris|last=Thomas|work=Knoxville News Sentinel|date=February 2, 2016|access-date=February 14, 2022}} Strange was rated a two-star recruit and initially committed to play college football at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but later de-committed and signed a letter of intent to play at the Air Force Academy.{{Cite web |last=Henley |first=Gene |date=February 3, 2016 |title=Mocs lose commitment Strange to Air Force |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2016/feb/03/mocs-lose-commitment-strange-air-force/348140/ |access-date=February 14, 2022 |website=Chattanooga Times Free Press}}
College career
Strange briefly attended Air Force during the Basic Cadet Training period before transferring to Chattanooga and redshirting his freshman season.{{Cite web |last=Henley |first=Gene |date=October 20, 2017 |title=Physical play helps at Mocs' Strange position |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2017/oct/20/physical-play-helps-mocs-strange-position/455154/ |access-date=February 10, 2022 |website=Chattanooga Times Free Press}} As a redshirt freshman, he played in ten games with six starts at left guard.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2018/aug/18/strange-development-hes-no-longer-new-mocs-of/477279/|title=Strange development: He's no longer a new Mocs offensive|work=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=October 20, 2017|access-date=February 11, 2022}} Strange started all 11 games at left guard during his redshirt sophomore and was named second-team All-Southern Conference (SoCon). He repeated as a second-team All-SoCon selection as a redshirt junior after starting 11 games at left guard and the final game of the Mocs' season at center due to an injury.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2020/jul/26/offensive-linemcole-strange-leads-way-utc-pre/528349/|title=UTC offensive lineman Cole Strange a preseason All-American|work=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=July 26, 2020|access-date=February 11, 2022|archive-date=February 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234539/https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2020/jul/26/offensive-linemcole-strange-leads-way-utc-pre/528349/|url-status=dead}}
Strange started four of five possible games at left guard and won the Jacobs Blocking Award as the best blocker in the SoCon during redshirt senior season, which was shortened and played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.wdef.com/mocs-ol-cole-strange-wins-socons-jacobs-blocking-award/|title=Mocs OL Cole Strange Wins SoCon's Jacobs Blocking Award|first=Rick|last=Nyman|website=WDEF.com|date=April 22, 2021|access-date=February 14, 2022}} He decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and return to Chattanooga for a sixth season.{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10021427-cole-strange-nfl-draft-2022-scouting-report-for-chattanooga-iol|title=Cole Strange NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Chattanooga IOL|first=Brandon|last=Thorn|website=Bleacher Report|access-date=February 14, 2022}} In 2021, Strange was named first-team All-SoCon and won a second straight Jacobs Blocking Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/2/10/443222/UTC-s-Strange-Gets-NFL-Combine-Invite.aspx|title=UTC's Strange Gets NFL Combine Invite|website=Chattanoogan|date=February 10, 2022|access-date=February 14, 2022}} After the conclusion of his college career, he played in the 2022 Senior Bowl.{{cite web|url=https://newschannel9.com/this-n-that/recently-on-tnt/cole-strange-invited-to-the-reeses-senior-bowl|title=Cole Strange invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl|first=Nathan|last=Gayle|website=NewsChannel9.com|date=November 24, 2021|access-date=February 14, 2022}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4 7/8
| weight = 307
| dash = 5.03
| ten split = 1.71
| twenty split = 2.89
| shuttle = 4.50
| cone drill = 7.44
| vertical = 28.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 0
| bench = 31
| arm span = 33
| hand span = 10 1/8
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cole-strange/32005354-5219-1447-a46e-56c3beaaebab |title=Cole Strange Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=April 29, 2022}}{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1002693&DraftYear=2022 |title=2022 Draft Scout Cole Strange, Chattanooga NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |website=draftscout.com |access-date=April 29, 2022}}
}}
Strange was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round (29th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft despite many analysts predicting that he would still be available in the third or fourth round.{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/local-news/2022/04/28/follow-along-live-with-the-2022-nfl-draft/ |title=2022 NFL Draft: Patriots select Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange with 29th pick |first=Christopher |last=Price |work=The Boston Globe |via=Boston.com |date=April 28, 2022 |accessdate=April 28, 2022}} He was named the Patriots starting left guard as a rookie, and started every game.{{Cite web |title=Cole Strange 2022 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StraCo01/gamelog/2022/ |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In 2023, Strange started all 10 games he appeared in, notching one fumble recovery. In week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, ending his season.{{cite web | last=Mason | first=Chris | title=Patriots first-rounder’s injury revealed | website=masslive | date=2024-06-17 | url=https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2024/06/patriots-first-rounders-injury-revealed.html?outputType=amp | access-date=2024-11-28}}
Strange was placed on the reserve/PUP list to begin the 2024 season while recovering from his knee injury.{{Cite web |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Patriots Make Roster Moves to Reach the 53-Man Roster Limit |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-release-16-players-place-three-players-on-injured-reserve |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Patriots.com}} He was activated on December 10.{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2024 |title=Patriots Make a Series of Transactions |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-make-a-series-of-transactions-x4956 |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Patriots.com}} He made three appearances and two starts in the 2024 season.{{Cite web |title=Cole Strange 2024 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StraCo01/gamelog/2024/ |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
Personal life
Strange has a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is currently working on a Masters in Engineering Management online from UTC.{{Cite web |last=Wasserstrom |first=Chuck |date=2020-12-16 |title=Pandemic doesn't keep Cole Strange from playing football |url=https://blog.utc.edu/news/2020/12/pandemic-doesnt-keep-cole-strange-from-playing-football/ |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=UTC News Releases |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.patriots.com/team/players-roster/cole-strange/ New England Patriots bio]
- [https://gomocs.com/sports/football/roster/cole--strange/8574 Chattanooga Mocs bio]
{{2022 NFL Draft}}
{{PatriotsFirstPick}}
{{Patriots2022DraftPicks}}
{{New England Patriots roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strange, Cole}}
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Chattanooga Mocs football players
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:Players of American football from Knoxville, Tennessee