University of Rhode Island linebacker Cole Brockwell is a throwback to a time when college football players spent their first two years learning and hoping to get on the field, their third season playing on special teams and perhaps as a backup, and their fourth, finally, as a starter.
But Brockwell is also a product of his time. He is in his sixth year with the Rams — thank you, redshirt and COVID bonus years. He already has a degree in finance and is finishing a three-semester MBA program.
Best of all, he is starting for the first time and playing like one of the best linebackers in the nation, which he is – second in the Coastal Athletic Association and 12th in the Football Championship Subdivision with 66 total tackles, 30 solo, and 9.4 tackles per game.
Cole is a throwback in another sense. He wears the same number, 39, plays the same position, is about the same size – 6 feet, 228 pounds – and is a team leader as his father Mark Brockwell was for the 1984 Yankee Conference Champion Rams. More about that later.
First, coach Jim Fleming can’t say enough about Cole Brockwell.
“He has been a steady guy in terms of work ethic and continuing to improve. He’s a very prepared player,” Fleming said in a telephone conversation Wednesday.
Cole’s primary responsibility is stopping the run up the middle, but he is also effective in coverage outside the tackles.
“Cole has been all over the field, and when he gets there, he hits with an incredible amount of power. His play has been phenomenal,” Fleming said.
Brockwell is a big reason why URI is 6-1 – 3-0 and tied with Richmond for first in the CAA – has won five in a row and is ranked 15th and 16th in the two national polls this week.
“So far, so good,” Cole told me after practice Tuesday. “It’s definitely pretty crazy. We’re just trying to take it week by week. We’ve had some chaotic wins, some dramatic wins.”
Chaotic? Dramatic? Check these out.
- The 20-17 season-opening triumph over Holy Cross thanks to Devin Farrell’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Harris with 19 seconds to play after the Rams converted two third-downs and one fourth-down on the winning drive.
- The goal-line stand in the 21-9 victory over Campbell.
- Brockwell’s fumble recovery that led to a touchdown and Malik Grant’s three TDs in the 28-21 win at Long Island University.
- The 46-44 double overtime escape from Hampton.
- The fourth-quarter rally that produced a 31-21 Governor’s Cup victory over Brown.
- The blocked punt for a safety and fumble recovery for a touchdown in the 26-9 victory at New Hampshire.
Cole made nine stops in Rhody’s first win at UNH since 1995.
“There was some talk about [the streak] for sure, but there’s a lot of belief in our group, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As we kept playing, our confidence grew,” he said.
That defense kept UNH out of the end zone until 29 seconds remained in the game.
“We thrive when our backs are against the wall,” Cole said. “It’s ‘Okay, we’ll win this game if we have to.’”
URI’s only loss so far was a 48-0 wipeout at Minnesota. Rhody’s offense generated only 135 yards against a Football Bowl Subdivision defense.
Brockwell was not highly recruited out of Staples HIgh School in Westport, Conn. Stonehill, Bentley, Holy Cross and Lehigh showed some interest, and several Division III NESCAC schools wanted him to visit. A partial scholarship offer from URI sealed the deal.
“Coach Fleming came to my house. I thought the fit was right. And I grew up going to URI games,” he told me.
Brockwell and the Rams underwent growing pains together. He played in one game in 2019, a 2-10 season, and redshirted. In 2021 he appeared in one game. He played mostly on special teams in 2022 and 2023. This should be Rhody’s fourth consecutive winning campaign.
The transfer portal came up in conversation, but Brockwell was not interested.
“It’s not something I believe in, not something I wanted to do. I believe in Rhode Island. The relationships with my teammates are important. I believe in myself,” he said. “At the FCS level some guys transfer two or three times in their career. A lot of guys here have been here since the beginning. We have a lot of culture guys.”
Fleming said: “Cole is a guy with a high level of character. There was never a question of transferring out of this place. He loves the program, and he loves his teammates.”
Now, about going to URI games as a kid. Cole’s dad was an All-Yankee Conference linebacker for the 1984 team that was four minutes from playing for the NCAA I-AA championship. His uncle Kurt played linebacker for the Rams in the late 1980s. An older uncle, Greg, was a sub-varsity fullback in 1982. So, a direct line went from Westport, Conn., to Kingston, R.I.
Led by “The Ehr Force” – quarterback Tom Ehrhardt, tight ends Brian Forster and Tony DiMaggio, and wide receivers Dameon Reilly and Bob Donfield – and bolstered by a tough defense anchored by Charlie Bounty and Bob Dana up front, Mark Brockwell — he led the defense with 139 tackles — in the middle, and Ray Williams, Guy Carbone, Bernie Moran and Tony Hill in the secondary, the ‘84 Rams were driving for the touchdown that would have given them a 26-18 lead over Montana State in the NCAA I-AA semifinals. On third-and-8 from the MSU 13-yard line Ehrhardt threw over the middle to a receiver at the goal line. Safety Joe Roberts intercepted and ran 97 yards for the game-changing touchdown with 4:05 to play.
Still shocked, URI fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Montana State recovered, and two plays later Eric Miller went up the middle on a draw for 29 yards and a touchdown. Montana State scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. Final score, 32-20. A week later the Bobcats won the national championship. URI finished 10-3.
I spoke to Mark Brockwell last Friday as he and his wife Sharon were driving to Durham for the UNH game. He recalls that 1984 season as if it were yesterday. He even remembers the defense URI called on Miller’s draw: max blitz man to man.
Homecoming, Oct. 20, 1984, also stands out. Boston University, 5-1, 2-0, was battling URI, 6-1, 2-0, for the Yankee Conference lead. The Terriers featured All-America tailback Paul Lewis. This game was such a big deal that five cable systems planned to show it on tape delay.
“It was a different time. The campus was vibrant. Everybody was on campus. For BU there were 18,000 at the game and 4,000 in the tailgate area who never came in,” Mark said with a laugh.
A slight exaggeration for sure. Meade Stadium did overflow with a record 13,052 spectators – its listed capacity was 10,000 but even that figure was a stretch. Fans were everywhere. Late arrivals had to park on Plains Road, a good walk from the stadium. Several thousand tailgaters remained in parking areas and partied in bright fall sunshine while listening to Jim Norman’s and Hal Kopp’s call on the radio. URI won, 22-7. Lewis ran for 174 yards and scored the BU touchdown, but Brockwell and the rest of Rhody’s middle stopped him on two consecutive carries at the 1-yard line. Ehrhardt threw for two touchdowns and ran for one.
That victory was the tiebreaker that gave the Rams a first-round bye in the playoffs after URI and BU tied for the Yankee Conference title.
The bond among those 1984 Rams is so strong that Brockwell, Ehrhardt, Moran, Williams, Carbone, Mike Jensen, and Bill Civitella formed a mentoring club and talk every Tuesday at 1 o’clock. They are helping to raise money for the football program. Bounty was part of that group until his death in August.
“The experience I had at URI was fantastic. I had a great time going to school and playing football,” Brockwell said. He is 62 now and has had a successful career in real estate. He and Sharon moved to Newport last summer.
Cole Brockwell could follow a similar path to football glory if the Rams keep winning and end a playoff drought that started in 1986. Maine is Rhody’s Homecoming opponent Saturday, only six days after the date of that unforgettable ’84 Homecoming.
“We’ve talked a bit about it,” Mark said of his son and his play this season. “He fills the hole. He’s solid. His pass drop is solid. One difference: he’s a 4.0 student. He knows the defense so well the coaches look to him and ask, ‘What do you see?’ I’m really excited for him. I couldn’t be more proud.”
