Matt Cole (born November 7, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the Wrocław Panthers of the European League of Football (ELF). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

McKendree Bearcats The McKendree Bearcats are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent McKendree University, located in Lebanon, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athleti ...

College career

After graduating from Chicago's

Curie Metropolitan High School Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School is a public 4–year magnet high school located in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Curie is operated by Chicago Public Schools district. Th ...

, Cole played for the

as a wide receiver and return specialist. As a senior, he was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Special Teams Player of the Year and first-team All-GLVC after catching 43 passes for 939 yards and 12 touchdowns while also returning 23 kickoffs for 625 yards and one touchdown and eight punts for 208 yards and one touchdown.

Professional career

Miami Dolphins

Cole was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins on April 29, 2020. He was waived on September 5, 2020, during final roster cuts, and signed to the team's practice squad the next day. He was placed on the practice squad/ COVID-19 list by the team on November 12, 2020, and restored to the practice squad on November 26.

San Francisco 49ers

Cole was signed to a two-year contract off of the Dolphins' practice squad by the San Francisco 49ers on December 24, 2020. Cole made his NFL debut in the 49ers' final game of the season, making two tackles on special teams in a 23–26 loss to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. Cole was waived on May 4, 2021.

New York Jets

On May 5, 2021, Cole was claimed off waivers by the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

. He was waived on August 6, 2021.

New York Giants

On August 8, 2021, Cole was claimed off waivers by the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. He was waived on August 31, 2021 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. On September 28, 2021, he was released from the practice squad.

Carolina Panthers

On October 4, 2021, Cole was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad. He was released on December 7.

Seattle Seahawks

On December 14, 2021, Cole was signed to the

practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks on January 10, 2022. He was waived on May 13, 2022.

Washington Commanders

On August 8, 2022, Cole signed with the Washington Commanders. He was released on August 30.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

On May 10, 2023, Cole signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

References

External links

McKendree Bearcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Matt 1996 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople Players of American football from Chicago American football wide receivers Carolina Panthers players McKendree Bearcats football players New York Giants players New York Jets players San Francisco 49ers players Seattle Seahawks players Washington Commanders players American expatriate players of American football