Column: Bennett will keep up old college try

Published 11:13 pm Monday, December 4, 2006

Cole Bennett has had a change of heart.

Bennett, the Auburn University tight end who played prep football at Dalton High School, sustained a broken ankle in the Tigers’ 7-3 victory over LSU on Sept.16 and missed the remainder of the regular season.

The 6-foot-4, 261-pound Bennett had hoped to recover sufficiently enough from the injury — and surgery a couple of days after the LSU game — to play in the Tigers’ bowl game.

However, while his rehabilitation has gone well, Bennett’s lateral movement is not very good and there’s no chance he could play Jan. 1 when the Tigers take on Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl.

With all that in mind, Bennett has decided to take a medical redshirt for the 2006 season and will return for a fifth year at Auburn in 2007.

In early November, Bennett said he considered but decided against taking a medical redshirt. Missing the Tigers’ final nine regular-season games created some doubt in Bennett’s mind and he began rethinking his decision.

The more he thought, the better a medical redshirt appealed to him. That was his only option, too. He played too many games to take an available redshirt season.

After a final meeting with coaches on Sunday, the path was cleared for Bennett to take the medical hardship route and come back next season.

“When he didn’t play against Georgia and Alabama, he really started to rethink everything,” said Jim Bennett, Cole’s father and Dalton High’s defensive coordinator. “He met with his coaches last week, including coach (Tommy) Tuberville and they all supported him on any decision he would make.”

Bennett seemed adamant about not coming back next season when it became apparent he would miss the remainder of the season with a very slim chance he could even play in the bowl game.

But once a little doubt crept into his mind, the more the 22-year-old felt playing a fifth year presented him with a win-win situation. He could finish his athletic eligibility and earn a master’s, in addition to his undergraduate degree, in information system management.

The Tigers begin their bowl preparation on Dec. 14, but Bennett will not be eligible to play against the Cornhuskers in Dallas. He will be allowed to practice with the team, his father said.

“He prayed that he would receive all the right information to make his final decision,” Jim Bennett said. “We told him we would support him no matter what he decided, but I think he’s made the best decision for himself.”

A meeting with coaches on Sunday cleared the final hurdle for Bennett to take the medical redshirt.

He clearly has aspirations of playing in the National Football League. A tight end in Auburn’s offensive system is primarily a run-blocker, but Bennett caught nine passes for 139 yards in 2005. He had two receptions for 25 yards at the time of his injury against LSU.

Prior to the 2006 season, Bennett was voted to the All-SEC preseason team by coaches. On Monday, he was among players “receiving votes” on the Associated Press postseason team despite playing just 2 1/2 games.

No doubt he will likely repeat on the preseason All-SEC team and a good fifth season could solidify his NFL opportunity.

Coming out of Dalton High, Bennett was a three-time Daily Citizen All-Area football selection and helped lead the Catamounts to a 13-2 record and a berth in the Class 4A state championship game. He was also a member of the National Honor Society.



Larry Fleming is sports editor at The Daily Citizen.