Dalton Cole - Whatever the Team Needs

Dalton Cole is the 6-3 225lbs quarterback for the Oregon Lightning of Arena Football One. He’s had quite the football journey. Cole was named the Week 3 Real American Beer Player of the Week after throwing for 258 yards, rushing for 44 yards, and scoring five touchdowns, including the game-winning Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired to give the Lightning the win.

Born an Athlete 

Dalton Cole grew up in Ashville, North Carolina. He was born into a family of athletes, and as early as he can remember, he was always at practices and games for his older brother Zac’s sports and sister Tori’s cheerleading. Like any younger brother, Dalton wanted to be like his older brother and play the same sports as Zac. He got started around the age of five, playing football starting in the “pup” division. Once Dalton was a Sophomore in high school he played a little quarterback on the junior varsity team, but when he got his spare chances on varsity, he played defensive back. As a Junior, he moved over to wide receiver. A pattern you’ll notice throughout his football journey is that he’s always willing to do “whatever the team needs,” a true team player. 

As a Senior, Cole finally got his shot to play quarterback. Unfortunately the offensive system was more of a Wing-T offense that focused on running and didn’t showcase the arm talent Dalton has. As his high school career wound down, Cole knew he wanted to play at the next level and started attending every camp he could find. Finally, he found a place he loved and committed to play at Eastern Tennessee State as a wide receiver. He went to summer workouts with the team, fully prepared to play wide receiver, again, whatever the team needed him to do. 

The College Years

Right before fall camp started, Dalton received a phone call. He was on his way to a landscaping job he was working on and didn't have great cell reception. But through the breaking-up phone call, he caught “still wanna play quarterback?” It was the coaches from Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina. Along with his anything-for-the-team mentality comes staunch loyalty. Cole was now torn; he was committed to play wide receiver for Eastern Tennessee, but now had an opportunity to play the position he loves at Brevard. After talking with the coaches at Eastern Tennessee, they gave Dalton the blessing to take the opportunity at Brevard to play quarterback. Dalton wasn’t under a scholarship at Eastern Tennessee, he’d just given them his word. 

It was like a firehose when he got to Brevard. Dalton hadn’t played much quarterback in high school and had spent the summer taking reps at wide receiver. He put his nose to the grindstone and put in the work. He played in all 10 games as a Freshman. As a Sophomore, he helped lead the team to their winningest record in school history with an 8-2 record and a win in the “Scotty” Whitelaw bowl.  

Going into his Junior season the coaches asked him if he’d be willing to play wide receiver or tight end. Cole said he would, again, do whatever the team needs. He wanted a chance to compete for the quarterback job first. That’s when COVID-19 hit and threw things for a loop. Cole ended up playing a little receiver, tight end, running back, special teams, a little quarterback, and wherever they needed him. 

Heading into his Senior year, he decided he was just going to make the most of it and enjoy his final season of football. Injuries piled up at quarterback for the Tornados, and Cole’s number was called once again at quarterback, a position he hasn’t really played in two years. He quickly fell back in love with the position and was able to play loose and have fun. He went 3-0 as a starter before breaking his thumb on Senior Night. The team allowed him to take a snap in their final game, and as a utility player, Cole had played a snap in every game of his college career. 

Through the Arena Ringer

Dalton wasn’t ready to call it a career yet, and like he did after high school, he attended every camp and tryout he could. CFL, USFL, XFL, and the UFL (not the current UFL, the rebrand of the National Gridiron League). He committed to the league and started focusing on preparing for the season. March came and went without the season starting before the league folded in May without Dalton seeing any action. Now he was back at ground zero and hadn’t played in a year. 

He was able to land with the Jacksonville Sharks, where he befriended their starting quarterback, Sam Castronova (now the quarterback of the Albany Firebirds). With Castronova being the star, there wasn’t room for Dalton. From there, he went to the Albany Empire, where he was able to throw the ball to some wide receiver named Antonio Brown. “It was the craziest thing ever.” But once again, the team folded, and he was back on the street without a game snap. 

Unsure where to go from there, Maurice “Moe” Leggett, who brought Cole to Albany, calls him and wants him to come to Amarillo, Texas, and the Amarillo Venom. Having a coach he only knew for a few days have the confidence to want to bring Dalton with him was the boost Cole needed. “Having someone not named mom and dad believe in you, it was really nice.” His shaken confidence was restored. It was an eventful experience, Cole told me, as they faced a lot of challenges. He was traded mid-season to Corpus Christi Tritons, who at the time were in the American Indoor Football League. 

The Tritons made it to the championship game, and Cole learned the day before the team left that he’d be the starter for that game. “So, that was insane.” It was back to go to every camp he possibly could and try to find a good place to land. “Coach Leggett calls me back, he’s like my football angel at this point.” He set Cole up with the coaches from the Orlando Predators, and he was off to training camp. Cole was traded to the Oregon Lightning and head coach Chuck Jones took a flyer on the third-string quarterback. 

Now, he’s the Lightning’s starter, and he’s said he’s never had an experience like this before. “I’ve never had the overwhelming support and confidence going into games” like he’s gotten in Oregon. It’s been ups and downs through four weeks, with two close losses and one very close win. “It’s just a matter of us dialing everything in,” Cole told me he’s so thankful for the ownership in Oregon as well as the AF1 for giving him this chance to keep playing the game he loves. 

The Hail MAry

I couldn’t let our conversation end without asking Cole about the Hail Mary at Southwest Kansas in Week 3. What went through his mind before, during, and after the play? When I asked, he laughed and then recalled it all. He tossed the touchdown pass that brought them within a score, but when the Storm got a first down on the next drive, he thought the game was over. His dad Josh was standing in the tunnel and Dalton was expressing his frustration over how close they came yet again without getting it done. “We’re always one step away,” he told his dad. 

Someone said, “Hey we’re gonna get a play.” There were just four seconds left, enough time for one play. Offensive coordinator Brandon Tate said, “Here we go again.” The week before against the Wolfpack the game also came down to a Hail Mary on the final play of the game. The team lined up wrong, and Cole made the right choice to just take the delay of game penalty and get everyone set. Coach Tate offered Cole an out, maybe they could run a hook and ladder and try and get the ball down there.

Cole thought about the week prior and how “Snoop” (Nicholas Brassell) got his hands on the Hail Mary and just got hit at the right time and they weren’t able to connect. He knew if he could get the ball to Snoop, there was no chance he’d miss it this time. As he stepped up in the pocket and let the ball go, he couldn’t believe Snoop had gotten behind the defenders. Now, he was just hoping the ball would fall right into Brassell’s hands. 

Time felt like it paused as Brassell fell to the ground with a group of three defenders in a heap. “There’s just no reaction,” he said. “The defenders weren’t reacting, the fans on the tables right behind them weren’t reacting, our bench was right there, not reacting, everything just paused for a second.” “The crowd was silent.” Then the referee tossed up his arms and “You see Snoop just skipping out of the end zone with the ball, and our bench goes crazy.” Cole said he couldn’t believe what just happened. “It’s like complete bewilderment.” “It was awesome, a crazy feeling.” 

Off the field, when Cole has the day off, you can find him on the golf course. “It’s the only sport you love and hate at the same time.” “Every day is a competition with golf.” Once golf is over, he’s going to be playing games with his friends back home. He said they play a little bit of everything, lately, it’s been a lot of 2K NBA, but Call of Duty and everything else is on the board.