Nathan Cottrell (born August 2, 1996) is a former American football

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

. Cottrell 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 ...

at Georgia Tech.

Early life

Cottrell played high school football at Knoxville West High School.

College career

Cottrell played college football at Georgia Tech. During his senior season under head coach

Geoff Collins Geoff Collins may refer to: * Geoff Collins (American football), American college football coach * Geoff Collins (Australian rules footballer) Geoffrey Anthony Collins (10 August 1926 – 14 August 2005) was an Australian rules football play ...

, Cottrell mostly played

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

, particularly as a gunner on punts and kickoffs. He finished the season with nine total tackles. He was also switched from running back, which he played in the

triple option offense The triple option is an American football play used to offer several ways to move the football forward on the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who might run with the ball instead of the two used i ...

under previous head coach Paul Johnson, to slot receiver.

Professional career

Cottrell went undrafted in the

2020 NFL Draft The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...

. During Georgia Tech's pro day, he had a 4.38 seconds

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

time. He reached a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 25, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the team's

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

two days later. He was elevated to the Jaguars' active roster just before the team's season opener against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was placed on the practice squad/ COVID-19 list by the team on October 17, 2020, and was restored to the practice squad on October 22. He was elevated to the active roster again on November 21 for the team's week 11 game against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

, and reverted to the practice squad again following the game. He was signed to the active roster on November 24. On August 31, 2021, Cottrell was waived by the Jaguars and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was released on September 6, 2021, and re-signed with their practice squad on September 20, 2021. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 10, 2022. He was waived on August 7, 2022.

References

External links

Jacksonville Jaguars bioGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets football bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cottrell, Nathan Living people 1996 births Jacksonville Jaguars players American football running backs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players Players of American football from Knoxville, Tennessee