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Reggie Cobb

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Reggie Cobb
refer to caption
Cobb with the Jaguars in 1995
No. 33, 34, 32, 28
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1968-07-07)July 7, 1968
Knoxville, Tennessee,U.S.
Died:April 20, 2019(2019-04-20)(aged 50)
Santa Clara, California,U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:Central(Knoxville, Tennessee)
College:Tennessee
NFL draft:1990/ round: 2 / pick: 30
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:3,743
Yards per rush:3.5
Rushing touchdowns:25
Receptions:123
Receiving yards:949
Receiving touchdowns:2

Reginald John Cobb(July 7, 1968 – April 20, 2019) was an American professionalfootballplayer who was arunning backfor seven seasons in theNational Football League(NFL). He playedcollege footballfor theTennessee Volunteers,leading theSoutheastern Conference(SEC) intouchdownshis freshman year.[1]A second-round selection in the1990 NFL draft,he initially played for theTampa Bay Buccaneers,registering his best season in 1992 when he rushed for over a thousand yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was later a member of the inaugural roster of theJacksonville Jaguars.

High school

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Cobb was born inKnoxville, Tennessee,where he was a four-year starter atCentral High School.[2]During his senior year, he rushed for 1,141 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and returned 13 kickoffs for 305 yards and a touchdown. He was named to theNashville BannerElite 11, and was ranked the number three recruit in the state by theKnoxville News Sentinel.[3]

As a member of Central's track team, Cobb won the statelong jumptitle, and placed fifth in the100-meter dash.[3]

College

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Cobb signed with the Tennessee Volunteers in 1986, part of a stellar recruiting class that included future NFL playersAlvin Harper,Anthony Miller,Antone Davis,Charles McRae,andTracy Hayworth.[3]Heredshirtedhis first year as veteransWilliam Howard,Keith Davis and Charles Wilson handled the bulk of the team's rushing duties. Cobb rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries, including a 54-yard touchdown, in the 1987 Orange-and-White Game, and emerged from spring practice third in the running back rotation behind Keith Davis and Vando Davis.[4]

Cobb received considerable playing time in his first game of the1987 seasonand made the most of the opportunity, erupting for 138 yards on 25 carries in the Vols' 23–22 win overIowa.[5]In Tennessee's 38–10 win overMississippi State,Cobb scored three touchdowns, including a 39-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.[6]Two weeks later, he rushed for 66 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter, in Tennessee's 20–20 tie againstAuburn.[7]In Tennessee's 38–12 win overCalifornia,Cobb rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass.[8]He rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee's win overGeorgia Tech,[9]picked up 127 yards and two touchdowns againstLouisville,[10]scored three touchdowns againstOle Miss,[11]and finished the season with 144 and 140 rushing yards, respectively, in close wins againstKentuckyandVanderbilt.[12][13]In Tennessee's 27–22 win overIndianain the 1988Peach Bowl,Cobb rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, to win game MVP honors.[14]For the season, he had a school-record 1,721 all-purpose yards, including a team-leading 1,197 rushing yards. His 20 touchdowns (17 rushing and three receiving) was second in the nation behind Paul Hewitt's 24,[1]and tied an SEC record.[15]

During the1988 season,Cobb missed three full games and part of two games with an ankle injury, and his production dropped to 547 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 118 carries, and 126 yards and three touchdowns on 17 catches. He rushed for a career-high 182 yards againstDuke,and picked up 111 yards rushing against Ole Miss before leaving the game with an injury.[16][17]

Prior to spring practice in 1989, Cobb was placed on indefinite suspension for failing a third drug test.[18]After completing a drug rehabilitation program, he was reinstated just before the start of the season.[18]He rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 17–14 opening win over Colorado State,[19]and added 78 yards againstUCLAthe following week, sharing time with rising starChuck Webbto form a running back tandem that became known as "Cobb-Webb."[20]In Tennessee's 28–6 win over Duke, Cobb rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns, much of his total coming on a 61-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run.[21]The biggest game of Cobb's college career came in Tennessee's 21–14 win over Auburn, when he exploded for 225 yards on 22 carries, including a 79-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.[22]In Tennessee's 17–14 win over Georgia, Cobb rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries, and scored a key touchdown in the fourth quarter.[23]

Cobb was dismissed from the team prior to Tennessee's game againstAlabamain October 1989 after he once again failed a drug test.[18]For his abbreviated season, he rushed for 625 yards and six touchdowns on 90 carries.[24]At the time of his dismissal, he was locked in a battle with Florida'sEmmitt Smithfor the SEC's rushing title.[25]His 6.8 yards-per-carry in 1989 led the SEC.[26]

During his career at Tennessee, Cobb rushed 445 times for 2,360 yards and 26 touchdowns, caught 33 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns, and returned 16 kickoffs for 326 yards.[27]His 1,721 all-purpose yards in 1987 remained a school single-season record until broken byCordarrelle Pattersonin 2012, and his 17 rushing touchdowns in 1987 remains a modern school single-season record.[28]His 1,197 rushing yards in 1987 remains the 9th-highest single-season total in school history, and his 2,360 career rushing yards is the school's 10th-highest career total.[29]

Professional career

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In January 1990, Cobb entered the John Lucas New Spirit Recovery Treatment Center in Houston. He was occasionally visited byTampa BaycoachRay Perkins,who became one of his advocates. In spite of his past drug use, Tampa Bay took a chance and made Cobb their second-round pick in the1990 NFL draft.[30][18]He signed with the Buccaneerss in August 1990.[31]In his first NFL game on September 9, 1990, he rushed 11 times for 43 yards and a touchdown in the Bucs' win overDetroit.[32]His first 100-yard game came on November 10, 1991, when he carried 21 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns, including a 59-yard touchdown run.[33]Two weeks later, he ran 22 times for 110 yards and a 27-yard touchdown in a close loss to theNew York Giants.[34]Cobb's best NFL season came in 1992, when he registered four games with 100 or more yards rushing, and finished the season with 1,171 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.[35]In the 1993 season, he had 221 carries for 658 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with a receiving touchdown.[36]He did not re-sign with the Bucs after the 1993 season, and became an unrestricted free agent.[37]

Cobb signed with theGreen Bay Packersin April 1994.[38]He struggled at the beginning of the season. Green Bay's ground attack ranked 26th in the league at the end of September.[39]In the Packers' loss toPhiladelphiaon September 18, Cobb scored the team's lone touchdown on a 37-yard pass fromBrett Favre.[40]He ran for 66 yards on 13 carries in the Packers' win over Detroit on November 6, and rushed for 78 yards on just 11 tries in the Packers' rout ofChicagoon December 11.[41][42]In his lone trip to the postseason, Cobb had 12 yards on 8 carries and an 18-yard reception in Green Bay's 16–12 win over Detroit on December 31, and was held to just 14 yards on four carries and a 12-yard catch in the Packers' loss toDallasthe following week.[43][44][45]

Cobb was selected by theJacksonville Jaguarsin the1995 NFL Expansion Draft.[46]He was released by the team after the first game of the season, however.[47]In May 1996, he signed with theNew York Jets,[48]where he played primarily as a reserve, scoring one touchdown on the season.[49]He was cut by the Jets at the end of preseason in August 1997.[50]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team GP Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1990 TB 16 151 480 3.2 17 2 39 299 7.7 17 0
1991 TB 16 196 752 3.8 59 7 15 111 7.4 21 0
1992 TB 16 310 1,171 3.8 25 9 21 156 7.4 27 0
1993 TB 12 221 658 3.0 16 3 9 61 6.8 19 1
1994 GB 16 153 579 3.8 30 3 35 299 8.5 37 1
1995 JAX 1 9 18 2.0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
1996 NYJ 15 25 85 3.4 9 1 4 23 5.8 12 0
Career 92 1,065 3,743 3.6 59 25 123 949 7.7 37 2

Post-playing career

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Following his NFL playing career, Cobb entered the scouting profession with the help of fellow ex-Vol (and current senior personnel executive for theMiami Dolphins)Reggie McKenzie.[51]Cobb joined theWashington Redskinsadministration as a scout in 2001, and subsequently worked for six years as Tampa Bay's Southwestern regional scout. He joined theSan Francisco 49ers,where he was the team's Western regional scout, in 2009. In 2011, he was namedNFCscout of the year by theFritz PollardAlliance.[52]

In July 2011, Cobb was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.[51]Cobb died in Santa Clara, California from a heart attack due to one of his arteries being 80% blocked on April 20, 2019, at the age of 50.[53][54]

References

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  1. ^ab"1987 College Football Summary".College Football at Sports-Reference.com.RetrievedFebruary 25,2024.
  2. ^Wilson, Mike (April 20, 2019)."Tennessee football: Former Vols running back Reggie Cobb dies at 50".Knoxville News Sentinel.RetrievedFebruary 26,2024.
  3. ^abc"1986 SigneesArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,"1986 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 82.
  4. ^"1987 SquadArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,"1987 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,pp. 56–57.
  5. ^"TENNESSEE FRESHMAN, BAD PITCH STOP IOWA".Chicago Tribune.August 31, 1987.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  6. ^"Vols Win SEC OpenerArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 102.
  7. ^"SEC Battle Ends in DeadlockArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 103.
  8. ^"Early Blitz Downs BearsArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 103.
  9. ^"Georgia Gets Past Kentucky".Los Angeles Times.October 25, 1987.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  10. ^"Vol Victory in the CardsArchivedJune 10, 2015, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 104.
  11. ^"Happy Homecoming For VolsArchivedJune 10, 2015, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 105.
  12. ^Shelton, Will (November 27, 2009)."Tennessee vs. Kentucky: 24 Years of Heartbreak".Rocky Top Talk.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  13. ^"Tennessee Football Notes - Vanderbilt Game".University of Tennessee Athletics.November 17, 2008.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  14. ^"Peach Bowl Win Highlights Season of Comeback VictoriesArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 106.
  15. ^"1988 SquadArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"1988 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 59.
  16. ^"Tennessee Falls to 0-2 In Upset By Duke".The New York Times.Associated Press. September 11, 1988.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  17. ^"Vols win again, stuff Rebels, 20–12".Kingsport Times-News.November 13, 1988. p. 37.RetrievedMarch 16,2024– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^abcdTom Spousta, "Cobb Learning You Can't Beat Coke As Easily As a Linebacker,"Middlesboro Daily News,April 26, 1990, p. 12.
  19. ^"Vols Win Season OpenerArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"1990 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 115.
  20. ^Matt Dixon, "Cobb Still 'Fond' of UT, HometownArchived2013-10-06 atarchive.today,"The Daily Beacon,September 9, 2011. Retrieved: October 5, 2013.
  21. ^"Vols Bedevil DukeArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"1989 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 116.
  22. ^"Cobb Leads Vols' Upset of Auburn".Los Angeles Times.October 1, 1989.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  23. ^Strange, Mike."Goose egg to Hail Mary, Tennessee football coaches notched notable wins over Georgia | Strange".AOL.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  24. ^"1989 Offensive StatisticsArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"1990 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide,p. 122.
  25. ^"Around the SECArchivedOctober 12, 2013, at theWayback Machine,"Tennessee vs. Georgia Football Program,1989, p. 7.
  26. ^"1989 College Football Summary".College Football at Sports-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  27. ^Individual Career Football StatisticsArchivedSeptember 28, 2013, at theWayback Machine,UTSports.com. Retrieved: October 5, 2013.
  28. ^Individual Football RecordsArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine(2012), UTSports, p. 325.
  29. ^Individual Football RecordsArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine(2012), UTSports, p. 334.
  30. ^"1990 NFL Draft Listing".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMay 24,2023.
  31. ^Zier, Patrick (August 7, 1990)."Cobb, Chandler Have Agreements With Buccaneers".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.p. 3C.RetrievedMarch 16,2024– via Google News.
  32. ^"Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions - September 9th, 1990".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  33. ^"Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - November 10th, 1991".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  34. ^"New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - November 24th, 1991".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  35. ^"Reggie Cobb 1992 Game Log".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  36. ^"Reggie Cobb 1993 Game Log".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  37. ^Tom Silverstein, "Cobb to Sign With PackersArchivedNovember 18, 2015, at theWayback Machine,"The Milwaukee Sentinel,April 22, 1994, p. 1B.
  38. ^"Packers Sign Tampa Bay Back Reggie Cobb,"The Deseret News,April 23, 1994, p. D3.
  39. ^Tom Silverstein, "Run Scared? No WayArchivedNovember 18, 2015, at theWayback Machine,"Milwaukee Sentinel,September 24, 1994, p. 3B.
  40. ^"Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles - September 18th, 1994".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  41. ^"Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers - November 6th, 1994".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  42. ^"Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers - December 11th, 1994".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  43. ^"Wild Card - Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1994".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  44. ^"Divisional Round - Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - January 8th, 1995".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  45. ^"Reggie Cobb 1994 Game Log".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  46. ^"NFL Expansion Draft".Tampa Bay Times.February 16, 1995.RetrievedNovember 2,2023.
  47. ^"Reggie Cobb 1995 Game Log".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  48. ^"PRO FOOTBALL;Jets Get Cobb and Boatswain".The New York Times.Associated Press. May 14, 1996.RetrievedFebruary 26,2024.
  49. ^"Reggie Cobb 1996 Game Log".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  50. ^Eskenazi, Gerald (August 26, 1997)."After Jets Trim Down, Roster Is More Youthful".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 26,2024.
  51. ^abJohn Adams, "From Central Casting to Stardom,"Knoxville News Sentinel,July 16, 2011. Retrieved: October 6, 2013.
  52. ^Biggs, Brad (January 5, 2012)."Reggie Cobb named NFC scout of year by Fritz Pollard Alliance".National Football Post.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  53. ^Biderman, Chris (April 20, 2019)."49ers scout Reggie Cobb dies from heart attack".The Sacramento Bee.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  54. ^"Reginald Cobb Obituary (1968–2019) – Santa Clara, CA – Knoxville News Sentinel".Legacy.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
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