Cobb lands spot with Kansas City Chiefs
Although he made the team, he will be out for the season because of a knee injury and has been placed on injured reserve.
"Trevor was doing fine. He would have made the 53-man roster, and he was going to be one of our five backs," said Jimmy Raye, running backs coach for the Chiefs.
Cobb, who was not drafted by any of the 28 NFL teams, signed on with the Chiefs as a free agent the day after the draft.
Cobb's stock as a draft pick dipped slightly following a poor performance at the Indianapolis combine before the draft. An injury during the Senior Bowl was a big reason for Cobb's weak showing.
"I went to the Senior Bowl and played well there, but I pulled my groin," he said. "I did not make a good decision to go to Indianapolis because I ran the first 40 and then it started to kill me."
His slow time at the combine and the reduced number of rounds in the NFL draft were the reasons Cobb's name was not called on draft day.
"It was kind of a surprise to me [that he was not drafted]," said Rice Head Football Coach Fred Goldsmith. "Not many teams came to work him out, and that's why I got a little apprehensive."
The Chiefs called Cobb during the eighth round, saying they wanted to draft him but did not have a pick in the eighth round.
"He is a high-quality individual who showed mental and physical toughness," Raye said. "He's a natural runner, and I would have expected that he would have added an impact to the team."
This season, prior to tearing the cartilage in his right knee, Cobb was prepared to return kickoffs and play special teams for the Chiefs.
"I didn't play special teams in college," he said. "I had to reach down and learn how to cover kickoffs, but it was exciting to get a chance to run and return kicks."
Cobb is enjoying his experiences with the Chiefs so far.
"It's great," he said. "It's a learning experience being with Joe Montana and Roger Craig, who I watched while I was growing up and now I'm getting a chance to play with them."
Cobb noted the major differences in making the jump from the collegiate game to the professionals.
"There's a lot more hitting, we're playing on grass and the tempo is a lot faster," he said.
Playing with the great veterans under Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer has eased Cobb's transition somewhat. Cobb said the most important thing that he learned from camp was "to go hard, even if you make a mistake."
Raye sees a bright future in the professional ranks for Cobb.
"I think he has excellent running and pass-catching skills," he said. "He has a future as a player in the NFL and eventually as a starter in the right system and situation."
This item appeared in the Sports section of the September 3, 1993 issue.
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