Former Duke Cornerback Ross Cockrell Praised for Hard Work
By Chris Brown
After being cut by the Buffalo Bills, former Blue Devil Ross Cockrell has vastly improved and will play a key role with the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.
Former Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell seems to have found a new home in the NFL after being cut early last season. This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been impressed by Cockrell’s hard work ethic and discipline as he takes on a bigger role with the team this season.
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Ross Cockrell was a stellar defensive back for the Blue Devils and played a key role in the improvement of Duke Football’s defense. Cockrell was a First Team All-ACC cornerback in 2012 and 2013. He led the ACC in interceptions as a junior in 2012 and compiled 233 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, one forced fumble, 12 interceptions, and one interception returned for a TD for his college career.
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Cockrell graduated from Duke in 2014 and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. After barely playing his rookie year, Ross Cockrell was cut by the Bills after the 2015 training camp and picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers right before the start of the regular season. The former Blue Devil noted that he was “shocked” when he was released from the team but promised to work harder if he ever got another opportunity.
Since then, Ross Cockrell’s hard work has payed off after appearing in every game except one last year with the Steelers including seven starts. He totaled 33 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions last season. The former Duke standout will have an even bigger role for the upcoming NFL season as a projected full-time starter in the defensive secondary for Pittsburgh. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has also noticed Cockrell’s hard work, praised the third-year CB, and hinted at an expanded role this season saying:
"“We liked him when he came out of Duke. He was a guy we thought had potential to be a good football player…Since last season, he has done nothing but continue to move onward and upward from that. He’s good above the neck. He’s worked hard in terms of conditioning and improving his body and getting ready to absorb the number of snaps that he could potentially absorb.”"
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Cockrell has spent the offseason working on becoming more physical and improving his coverage skills. Make sure to check out the entire piece on Ross Cockrell here, and stay tuned to Ball Durham where we’ll keep you updated on all of the former Duke Football players in the NFL as the season approaches.