TAMPA, Fla. – Cole Skinner is not much of a beach guy despite growing up about a mile and a half from the surf in the Jersey Shore community of Point Pleasant Borough. That’s not to say he shied away from the popular Jenkinson’s Boardwalk. He and his friends often traversed the mile-long stretch and he worked at a popular eatery, Little Mac’s Pizza.
“It was a nice little spot and me and a couple of my buddies worked there,” he said. “It was a little summer job and after football (practice) we would bike over to the boardwalk, go to work and have some pizza. The boardwalk is great.”
Point Pleasant is about equal distance from New York and Philly. Skinner, though, is not a fan of the Giants, Jets or Eagles. Nor did he have interest in becoming a fan of either team.
“I am a Philly fan for everything except for football,” he said.
So, who does he root for?
“I am a Seahawks fan,” he exclaimed, as though proud to stand out from everyone he grew up with.
Why the Seahawks?
“My dad did not to want to be a Jets or Giants fan,” said the son of Debbie and John and the youngest of three siblings. “My dad was a red-headed lefty and Seattle’s quarterback at the time was a lefty redhead.”
Thanks to Jim Zorn, who threw for more than 21,000 yards in an 11-year NFL career, Skinner does not sing “Fly Eagles Fly.” Rather, he pledges allegiance to a team 2,400 miles away from his family home.
“My dad and I are big Seahawks fans,” he said. “Everyone thinks it is a bandwagon thing, but I promise (my dad) has been rooting for them since the beginning.”
From beach to bay
It appeared that after graduating Point Pleasant High, Skinner would begin his college career in January 2023 by taking the turnpike south to Philly to play for Temple, then coached by Stan Drayton. But USF came into the picture.
Among the schools Skinner heard from during the recruitment process was Tennessee and was in contact with offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and grad assistant Tyler Hudanick. Golesh took the head job at USF in early December 2022 and Hudanick was named the Bulls’ offensive line coach. The lines of communication remained open and Skinner visited USF a few days before Christmas. After the calendar flipped to 2023, the 17-year-old offensive lineman was on campus taking classes and meeting new teammates.
“I talked to them a lot, really enjoyed their coaching style and loved everything about them,” he said. “I decommitted from Temple about three weeks before I was going to (start college) there.”
While on his visit, Skinner received an offer from Georgia Tech. By that point, he had made up his mind.
“The timing was very late,” he said. “I liked (the USF) coaching staff, I enjoyed their coaching style and I liked how my visit went. So, that was the opportunity I took.”
Touchdown maker
Skinner has been a highlight reel of sorts for USF this season having twice plowed into the end zone from a yard out. It is a play the Bulls have been working on for much of the past two years, and utilized in the first quarter of last year’s Hawaii Bowl when Skinner converted a 4th-and-1 inside the San Jose State 10-yard line.
“It has been a huge opportunity and a blessing to touch the football,” he said. “It has been neat being that guy, and it really brightens the mood among everyone because you get out there and the next thing you know it is a big guy in the end zone.”
The big guy checks in at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, down from the 340 he said he weighed upon arriving at USF. He was a raw freshman then, needing to work on pass protection after operating within a Point Pleasant offense that ran the triple option.
“We barely passed at all,” said Skinner, noting he was embarrassed with his work in the pass game as a freshman at USF. “It makes me sick watching my freshman year film. I really worked on my pass protection (the past two off seasons) and it’s not completely where it needs to be, but I have taken steps.”
Skinner would like to follow in Debbie’s footsteps and make it in the real estate industry at some point. The business management major enjoys meeting and connecting with people and would like to shake hands after closing a deal on a home. That day may arrive before too long, though at this point it is about helping the Bulls, who host UTSA on Thursday night (7:30/ESPN), while continuing to enjoy his experience at USF.
“The fan base has been great and everyone was super welcoming when I got here,” he said. “I really like the people here and I enjoy the company of my teammates. It has been really nice.”
READ: No. 34 Has Special Meaning For USF Linebacker Rico Watson
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