By Austin Turner – Staff Writer
Over the course of a football game, coaches and players adapt.
Strategies and game plans change. A common adjustment made by opposing coaches and kickers in games against San Jose State, is to stop kicking the ball to No. 22.
Listed at 5-foot-7 and 181 pounds, Thai Cottrell is the smallest player on the field in most of his games – but the senior speed-demon plays like he’s the biggest.
“I like to play big,” Cottrell said. “I like to play mean, aggressive and I don’t like to be punked around on the field.”
The speedster certainly does not get “punked around” when he steps on the field for the Spartans.
As of Week 8, he is sixth in the nation in kick-return yardage, with 457 yards over 17 returns. He opened eyes in Week 3 against the then-12thranked Oregon, a team known for its speed.
Cottrell showed off his elite quickness when he returned a kick 96 yards while juking defenders, reversing the field and nearly scoring a touchdown.
Special teams coordinator Fred Guidici, who called Cottrell “Mighty Mouse,” is as happy as anyone to see him returning kicks for the Spartans.
“I trust him wholeheartedly,” Guidici said. “He’s relentless, he’s fearless. He’s who you want back there.”
Cottrell quickly gained attention for his speed and physicality on the field back at Oceanside High School, near San Diego, where he lettered in football and track.
In his high school football career, he caught 115 passes for 1,458 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was named MVP of the Avocado league and was one of six finalists for the Silver Pigskin Award in his senior year, which is given to the best high school football player in San Diego County.
Even with all of those accolades and video game stats, his size held him back from being a big-time college football recruit.
“I had coaches telling me to forget about Division I and to start looking at Division II and III schools,” Cottrell said. “I got looked at a lot, but overlooked because of my size.”
Teammate and former roommate, senior receiver Justin Holmes, said that being passed over because of his size may have motivated Cottrell.
“He was always kind of upset that a lot of teams didn’t take a chance on him because of his size,” Holmes said. “So he definitely has a chip on his shoulder.”
However, Cottrell did end up receiving three Division I offers from Northern Arizona, Army West Point and of course, San Jose State.
The Spartans found a diamond in the rough. After seeing Cottrell at camp, they knew they had to have him.
“I had to go prove to all of the previous coaches on the staff at a camp and I had to showcase what I can do. The next day, they offered me,” Cottrell said. “They accepted my size for who I am.”
Cottrell mentioned NFL players such as Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill as role models for him watching football growing up. Both players are built like him.
Sproles is 5-foot-6, which has made him the shortest player in the league for much of his career. He has used his speed and cutting abilities to make up for his lack of height and has scored 61 touchdowns in his 12-year NFL career.
Hill had a similar road as Cottrell because of his size. He was an elite track prospect in high school, winning the Georgia State championships in both the 100m and 200m.
He was under-recruited for football out of high school because he was only 5-foot-10. Now, he’s one of the most electric players in football and can break for a huge return at any moment, much like Cottrell.
By his own admission, Cottrell will not be the player giving fiery speeches at halftime to motivate his teammates.
However, during his time as a Spartan, Cottrell has become as many described him, a “leader by example.”
“Thai’s not really the person to get up in front of the team and talk,” Holmes said. “But he is the type of person who does the right thing all the time. He’s a dog. He’ll work all day every day and he wants to be the best … people see that and want to follow it.”
Being a workhorse is a common theme among undersized football players. Sometimes, the drive within the player can make up for what they lack in physical traits. For Cottrell, the chip on his shoulder from being called “too-small” all his life made him work harder to get to where he is.
“He’s a super hard worker,” Guidici said. “The reason why he’s having so much success on the field is because he works hard. He’s blossomed into a really productive player for the Spartans and we are lucky to have him.”
That said, he isn’t all business all the time.
“He’s definitely a goofball,” Holmes described his close friend. “He’s a nerd. He’s a lot of fun. He’s got a little wild side.”
Cottrell said that after he graduates in December, he’d like to pursue firefighting back home in San Diego County.
He’s one of many examples that in sports, almost anything can be overcome with determination. Even for a position so dependent on height and wingspan, a 5-foot-7 kid from Oceanside can help his team on and off the field.
Follow Austin on Twitter @AustinTurnt