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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 20, 2004 Cota helping out SOU By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Though Chad Cota's eight-year stint in the NFL ended in 2003, when he retired from the Buffalo Bills before the season started, he hasn't given up the game. Instead of donning a helmet and pads, these days Cota, 32, is all about throwing on a Southern Oregon University football shirt and heading down to the Raider practice field to help James Gravelle coach the Raider secondary. Former Ashland High great Chad Cota talks to a Southern Oregon University football player during practice Thursday. Cota is helping coach the Raider secondary, but isn't sure if he'll stick around for the 2004 season. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings "This spring has been a time for him to give it a try and see if he likes coaching," said SOU head football coach Jeff Olson, explaining that Cota has been involved with the team for over a month, participating in coaches meetings and taking part in spring practices. "It looks like his playing career is done." Cota, who played at Ashland High in the late '80s and early '90s before moving on to a storied career at the University of Oregon, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers as a safety in 1995. He played three seasons with the Panthers, then bounced through four teams in five years: one season at New Orleans, three with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the St. Louis Rams before retiring from the Bills' franchise in June of 2003. "I just didn't get the right situation last year," Cota said, explaining why he left pro football. "That turned out fine with me because the job security in the NFL wasn't the best for me." While Cota never played for the Raiders, he grew up going to Southern's games and has been around the program. "Coach Olson gave me a call about a month ago," Cota said. "I didn't have a lot of coaching experience, so it seemed like a good way to get my feet wet. Getting back around the guys and the team atmosphere - that's what you miss when you're not around football." At this point, the experience appears to be ideal for both Cota and the players he works with. "So far it seems like he's having fun and the kids are enjoying it because he's played at the highest level," Olson said. "When I first introduced him to the team, I had a lot of guys - their eyes open up and say 'wow.'" Cota plans on remaining in Ashland for the time being, to be around friends and family. Both he and his wife are from the area. Also, Cota and some friends recently purchased InfoStructure. They intend on adding phone service to the existing internet access the business provides and he would like to get into construction. Still, he's not clear on what his future with the Raiders holds. "At this point, I don't really know," Cota said. "I've had some experience playing. I'm just hoping to give them some help and pass some of that along." But if he decides to stick with SOU, there's no question that the program would welcome the addition on the sideline. "We'll find a place to keep Chad Cota around," Olson promised. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams