Cota Understands What It Takes To Succeed

The recruiting process has changed significantly over the last 25 years, making the experience 2018 Oregon wide receiver Chase Cota is going through now much different from the one his father went through a generation earlier.

“We did 7-on-7, but it was all local tournaments, not kind of the AAU feel and All-Star stuff,” said Chad Cota, who capped a standout career at the University of Oregon in 1994 before an impressive eight-year career in the NFL with the Panthers, Saints, Colts and Rams.

“I just did local 7-on-7 here in southern Oregon and didn’t really do a whole lot of camps. Basically, your recruiting was based on your high school season. Where now, it’s a whole different thing.”

Cota sees positives and negatives to the changes.

“The aspect I like about it is kids who may not be from bigger schools or well-known programs can still get noticed,” he said. “I think it can help out those types of kids, which is nice.”

But he acknowledges the attention can be a bit much.

“The Twitter and that stuff can be a lot on kids, especially at that age of 16, 17, 18,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

But at the end, the goal is still the same.

“When it comes down to it, it’s about finding the right program for you and the school that works best for each individual,” he said. “When it comes down to it, it’s like it was back in the day, just finding the right school, program and coaching staff for you.

“I’m just trying to help Chase through it and keep it all in perspective for sure.”

© Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY Sports Chad Cota playing safety for the Indianapolis Colts

Cota’s recruitment didn’t really kick into high gear until his senior season, when the big schools started coming in while his son scored his offer from Oregon the spring before his junior season.

Cota has been thrilled to help his son reach his potential, but wasn’t going to push his son into the sport before he thought he was ready.

“I held him out a little longer,” Cota said. “He really wanted to play when he was in second and third grade, but I held him out. I would go to some of those in the first, second and third grade and saw some of the crazy parents in the stands. I just thought it was a lot for that young of a kid.

“I went the flag football route and built up his hunger for the game and he was really ready to go by fifth grade.”

First and foremost was making sure Chase had fun.

“I always taught him to enjoy the game, play the game for fun and to set goals, but to really play it to enjoy it and have fun,” Cota said. “I know it can get stressful the higher you get up in levels at times and you get ranked. A lot of times, I said, ‘Just live in the moment. Enjoy the moment and have fun with it.’”

Eventually, it became clear Chase would have the chance to play the game at those higher levels.

“Chase was always pretty advanced and always a pretty good wide receiver,” his father said. “He kind of had that tall, lean build of wide receivers and was always fast as a young kid too.

“In eighth grade, you could tell he was different than most of the kids out there. That’s when he really started excelling on a different level.”

Putting in the work to continue excelling wasn’t a problem for father or son.

“Coming from a football background, this is all I do in the offseason,” Cota said. “That’s kind of been Chase’s life. Once it comes spring and summer, it’s just working out and going out and throwing the football around and just understanding what it takes to play at the next level as far as your lifestyle; training, lifting, running and running routes. He’s kind of lived it his whole life.”

Nike Football

Given his own background with the game, Cota believes it’s “definitely” been easier for Chase to understand the kind of work that’s necessary to enjoy success.

“Even after I retired, I always loved getting out and throwing the football around and working out in the summertime,” he said. “It was part of the game I enjoyed anyway. He’s kind of done it and his younger brother has done it the whole time too. That’s why a lot of coaches love the football background too because they understand what it takes.”

Last month, Cota announced a top seven that included Notre Dame, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Alabama, Cal and Georgia.

“It’s been tough narrowing things down because Chase has got a lot of options and some really good schools,” his father said. “Besides the Pac-12, it was really high-end programs and a high education and that’s where Notre Dame came in.

“The education and the alumni base and the world-renowned recognition is why Notre Dame is high up there on his list. It’s just a huge honor for him to have an offer from there, that’s how he looks at it.”

Chase took a visit to South Bend in April for the Irish’s spring game and got a deeper understanding for the program and the school.

“Notre Dame stresses it, it takes a different type of individual,” said Cota. “It’s not for everyone. When you go to Notre Dame, you have to have a disciplined lifestyle. It’s just school and football and there’s not a whole lot of time for free time.”

That’s not going to scare Chase away.

“He would understand that’s what it would be like if he went to Notre Dame, but then you get paid off after you graduate and get to be a part of that unique fraternity that Notre Dame is,” his father said.

There’s a good chance Chase will return to South Bend for an official visit this fall.

“He saw quite a bit the first time,” Cota said. “I’m not sure if he’s going to take an official out there. We’ve been talking about it, but we haven’t quite narrowed his list to his officials down yet. At this point, I would think we’d take an official there, but I’m not positive yet.”

It's no surprise many people are hoping he follows his father’s footsteps to Eugene.

“Being the local school and living in Duck Land, he does get some pressure from people in the area to stay local and stay home, but the one thing about Chase is he’s his own individual,” Cota said. “Chase is going to do what he feels is best for him. I think he takes everything into consideration, but I know in the long term, he’s going to go where he wants to go.”

Even as he enters the relatively late stages of his recruitment, Chase doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed.

“There are some schools coming in late and throwing out offers,” his father said.

“He doesn’t seem to be getting stressed out much about it. When it gets time to get going then maybe it’ll hit him, but right now he’s not quite there yet. He’s got a good level head on his shoulders, so he’ll be able to handle the stress. He does a pretty good job of that.”

(Chase Cota pictured at the top with his father on the left and his Uncle Mike on the right at Notre Dame's spring game in April)