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Big Red Alum Harold Coles Thankful for Ivy League Education and Division I Football Career
Fairview Area High School and Cornell University alum Terrence “Harold” Coles grew tremendously as a person in his four years attending and representing Cornell. Coles’ first day on the campus of Cornell, he was a 190 pound running back from the snowbelt that is Erie County, Pennsylvania. He graduated as a 210 pound tailback and as one of the all time great running backs the Big Red football program has ever seen. He did not just excel on the gridiron and in the weight room, but also as a scholar as well. He graduated with a 3.6 grade point average and with a degree in applied economics.
His four years of college were well spent, and he made the most of his opportunity both as a student and as an athlete. At Fairview, the former Tiger racked up four letters in both basketball and football. He went into high school hoping to become a college basketball player, but his mind soon changed on what he thought he would like to play at the next level. While there were some opportunities to play college basketball, Coles was beginning to understand he could play football at an ever higher level.
“I played behind Shannon Jackson during my early high school days. He demonstrated such a great work ethic for me, and he showed me how hard I would need to work to achieve my goals. He set numerous records at Fairview, and I set out to try to be like him and aim at the marks he set.” Coles set plenty of high marks for himself during his high school career, including rushing for 4,348 yards and 53 touchdowns in his four years for the Tigers. He rushed for 2,442 yards and 27 touchdowns in his senior year alone, and helped the Tigers with a pair of region titles while also being named all-region in his junior and seniors seasons.
His standout play on the field was enough for the likes of Kent State, Princeton, Cornell, and several other Division I FCS schools to recruit him. He ultimately saw an opportunity to play Division I football and obtain an Ivy League education, and this was something he could not refuse. “I saw the doors football was opening for me, and I wanted to take advantage of it by getting the best education I possibly could.”
In his first year at Cornell, Coles began the season as mostly the junior varsity running back for the Big Red, but he worked his way onto the travel roster and suited up for six games. “It was a humbling experience,” Coles explained. I questioned for a little bit if I could play at this level. I was always a fairly confident guy, but not playing as much right away and being the low guy on the totem pole was frustrating at first. Ultimately, I called my dad and he restored that confidence in me. I got better in the weight room and rose up to the competition. My competitive side really came out because I really wanted to play.”
As a sophomore, Coles began to show flashes of what was to come for the remainder of his college career. He rushed for 505 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore while racking up two 100 yard games against Yale and Penn. His breakout game came in the season finale against Penn as he rushed 21 times for 122 yards while also catching a 51 yard pass. It appeared the backfield would largely be Coles’ for the next two seasons, and surely it was.
Over his junior and senior seasons, Coles earned All-Ivy League honors for his standout play. As a junior, Coles rushed for 710 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 293 yards and three scores. He had three 100 yard rushing efforts and scored a pair of touchdowns in three seperate games as well. He was named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District and second team All-Ivy League. He also became the first Big Red player to score double digit touchdowns in a season since 2011. It was a sign of what was to come for his senior campaign
Coles was named first-team All-Ivy League and first-team academic All-District as a senior. He ranked second in the Ivy League in rushing yards per game with 92.4 and also averaged 5.94 yards per carry. He graduated as the Big Red’s 8th all-time leading rusher and the all-time program leader in career yards per rush. His favorite moment at Cornell playing football came in an upset win over Dartmouth. “The experts gave us around a ten percent chance to win. Dartmouth was ranked at the time, and it was great to beat them in a game few gave us a chance in.” In that contest, Coles ran for 111 yards including a 74 yard touchdown to help lead the Big Red to an upset victory.
After his college career, Coles began training for a chance to play professional football. He headed to Texas to begin training for combines and workouts while finishing his degree online. He trained from January till the early part of March, but then COVID-19 came into play. COVID-19 was cancelling workouts, pro days, combines, and closing workout facilities. Coles had his Cornell pro day along with numerous other workouts cancelled, and his professional football dreams are now on hold. He was able to return to Cornell for a few months to finish school and get some workouts in at some friends apartments, but he never got the true chance to show his abilities to scouts and coaches.
While it has been a disappointing few months, Coles has accepted a job this fall to begin his career as a district manager for ALDI. It is a great way to start his professional career, but Coles still hopes to find his way into professional football someday. “I am staying ready,” Coles said. I am going to keep in great shape and will keep working to get a chance hopefully soon.”
Throughout his life, Coles has been thankful for several people for keeping him on the right path. He quickly mentioned his parents Cherise and Terry Coles who set a great example for him how to be a professional and also how important academics are. “My parents always formed that strong academic base around me. My transition to college went very smooth because they helped me form that great basis of education. They also were huge supporters in my athletic career. My dad was always coaching me up and giving me advice, and my Mom rarely missed any of my games. She would even come to the really far ones when I was at Cornell.”
At Cornell, his running back coach Chad Nice played a huge role in his confidence that he could be a Division I back, and a good one. He listed him as one of the most influential people in his career and his life, and he is humbled by how much he was able to help him during his four years. Coles also made mention of Tom Howley, the Associate Director of Athletics for Athlete Performance for how he helped him transform his body from high school to collegiate running back. Howley helped Coles put on around thirty pounds of muscle during his time with the Big Red, and it made a big difference in his success.
If Harold Coles never plays another snap of football, he has a great career to look back on and remember. He is one of the top players to come out of Fairview, and among the top running backs in the history of Cornell. He obtained an Ivy League education, and obtained a degree in applied economics. He maintained a 3.6 grade point average while playing football, and will soon begin his career with ALDI in a management role. While Coles will always keep football as a part of him, nobody will know him as just a football player. His intelligence and work ethic is something any company or team will be lucky to have no matter where life takes him.
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