Why one of Cole Holcomb’s competitive disadvantages growing up made him what he is today

Cole Holcomb has been a favorite of Jay Gruden’s so far in camp. He is a name that is called out very often when Gruden is mentioning the defensive players. Now, it is true, Gruden did play a part in Holcomb landing in Washington in the later rounds of the draft. However, Holcomb has done a great job so far in showing the Redskins he can play in the NFL and impressing the coaching staff to this point. If you ever wondered what drives Holcomb to be the player he is or want to know who he is a little more, you can point to Holcomb’s upbringing as a late-bloomer. As a younger guy Holcomb was the little one, never the guy with any size; as a result, forcing himself to play mentally stronger and more technically sound than his opponents. Besides stuffing weights in his pockets just to try and play up in size, he was told he has to play “with great technique and know the defense and the schemes.” Its carried Cole a long way clearly, his career at North Carolina stood out to Jay Gruden, and his productivity clearly shows that he focuses on everything that he said he did growing up. As a pro, Cole is focusing on his fundamentals, and it has resulted in some buzz behind his name.

Take a look at the full interview with The Hog Sty.

 

Holcomb gave us a few minutes and shared his thoughts on Training Camp so far, his transition to the NFL, what makes him stand out, and the biggest challenge he faces as he continues to grow in the NFL.