Chattanooga Mocs offensive lineman Cole Strange is back in the headlines in a big way with Wednesday’s announcement of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine invitees. He’s the eighth Moc all-time to be invited the prestigious event featuring the best of the best heading into the NFL Draft.
Strange is just the second to pull the all-important double of playing in the Senior Bowl and competing in the combine joining Keionta Davis (2017). There’s literally not a single NFL evaluator that won’t lay eyes on the Mocs All-American and 2-time Jacobs Blocking Award winner.
“What an amazing opportunity for Cole,” Coach Rusty Wright. “It’s well-deserved. He took advantage of his Senior Bowl appearance, and we know he’ll do the same in Indy.”
The NFL Scouting Combine is March 1-7 in Indianapolis, Ind. The week features job interviews, workouts, drills, etc. The physical and mental tests go a long way toward affecting draft status. There are all sorts of physical indicator used (i.e. 40-yard dash, bench press, broad jump) as well as physical measurements, injury evaluation, mental acuity tests and a long bank of interviews with each team.
Strange is one of 18 FCS student-athletes invited, and the only one from a Southern Conference school. Eldra Buckley was the first in 2007 from Chattanooga followed by Buster Skrine (2011), B.J. Coleman (2012), Derrick Lott (2015), Davis Tull (2015), Davis (2017) and Corey Levin (2017). Skrine and Levin both remain on NFL rosters as teammates with the Tennessee Titans.
Skrine is tied with Dayton Florence for the third-longest NFL career by a Moc at 11 years. His 158 is third-most behind Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (209) and Jack Gregory (182).