Cole Pemberton took a leap of faith when he transferred from Kansas City to Highlands Ranch to live with his dad during his high school years. That leap provided a new relationship with his father and a stellar football career as an offensive lineman at Mountain Vista High School.

Cole opted to play college football at Colorado State University for Sonny Lubick and prided himself on protecting his quarterback. He allowed just one sack his senior season and was a team captain. He also dealt with injuries.

His name wasn’t called on draft day, but he was able to get on as a college free agent with Gary Kubiak’s Texans, who at the time were “CSU South” with several former Rams on the roster. Cole was cut a few times in the NFL and when a doctor told him his knee was shot, he hung up his cleats.

Post retirement wasn’t easy. He tried coaching at the University of Miami and some other odd jobs and nothing felt right. He also fell into a dark place mentally and used opiates and other substances to help his physical and mental pain. Today, Cole is in a better place. He enjoys his job and talking to others about overcoming substance abuse and challenges.