You’ve heard the story so many times, by now it’s almost a cliche: Athlete overcomes a difficult upbringing and less-than-ideal family circumstances, creating an opportunity through sports that allows him to make a better life. But that’s not Norris Cole’s story.
Cole, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, is the son of a successful accountant (mother Diane) and nuclear-med tech (father Norris Sr.). Both now retired, the Coles have been married 31 years and raised their son and two daughters in old-school fashion, emphasizing school over sports. Norris was an elite student, a member of the Honor Society and the salutatorian of his senior class at Dunbar High, with A’s in every subject.
“It was a family thing,” the 27-year-old New Orleans Pelicans guard said. “My mother and father made education a priority. Church was first, then schoolwork. Sports was always something extra, not the main focus.”
That emphasis seemed imperative for much of Cole’s childhood, because as his high school basketball career neared its conclusion, there was little interest from NCAA Division I hoops programs. The local college, the University of Dayton, didn’t offer a scholarship despite a decorated high school playing career and flawless academic credentials. In fact, Cleveland State was the only Division I school to pursue Cole, extending him a scholarship to play roughly 200 miles from his hometown.
“Especially in basketball, a lot of guys come from an urban background where it was one parent and they had to struggle a lot growing up,” Cole explained. “My struggle was different, because my parents provided for me. I was blessed in that way. My struggle was trying to find an opportunity, someone to believe I was good enough. I always had to prove myself – that was my struggle. I didn’t have to worry about where my meals were coming from; I had to worry about working on my game and making sure every time I had a chance to showcase myself that I did it.”
Hello, Cleveland
How does a player who eventually emerges as an NBA first-round draft pick in 2011 receive only a single scholarship offer, and from an in-state, mid-major college at that? Cole helped Dunbar win two state championships and several of his high school teammates were heavily recruited, including six-year NBA guard Dequan Cook and three other high-major Division I players. But in a scouting mistake that is oft-repeated across virtually every sport, Cole’s undersized stature prevented some schools from seeing his potential.
“I wasn’t an overly big athlete,” Cole said. “I wasn’t 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. I was a skinny kid – 6 foot, 160 pounds. Plus, I didn’t play much AAU basketball (to increase exposure to colleges). I played every sport, going from one season to the next.”
Cleveland State’s interest in Cole proved to be one of the Vikings’ wisest moves ever – during a Feb. 6 ceremony before a home game vs. Oakland (Mich.), he will become just the third player in program history to have his number retired. No one other than perhaps Cole himself could’ve imagined that the lightly-recruited Ohio product would eventually be the Horizon League’s leading scorer as a senior (as a junior, he finished second, on a list that included fifth-place Gordon Hayward of Butler).
Looking back on it now, Cole realizes that he needed to compile otherworldly performances in order to land on the radar of NBA scouts, who sometimes have questions about the level of competition for a player who excels in a mid-major conference.
“Going to Cleveland State for four years, I had to put up astronomical numbers there just to get recognized by the NBA,” said the 28th overall pick of the ’11 draft. “I had 40-point games, which is what it took just to get recognized. But I’m used to having to fight and prove myself. That was just the journey I had to go on. It created a toughness, to where I have thick skin. Nothing is going to break me or stop me, because I understand what it means to work.”
Laying the foundation
Speaking of work, Cole graduated from Cleveland State with a degree in Health Science, following in the footsteps of Norris Sr., who earned a Biochemistry degree and went on to a long career working at Dayton’s Good Samaritan Hospital. Cole calls his parents role models in that they preached the importance of education, but also lived it every day by their actions.
“Both of them are college graduates,” Cole said of the pair of Dayton natives. “They grew up in the public-school system, had a chance to further their education and took advantage of it. They wanted me to do the same. I saw them work very hard, working long hours all the time to provide for me and my sisters. They preached it, but they also practiced it. I saw my mom and dad reading. I saw them always improving. I don’t take that for granted.” Cole pauses, before smiling and adding, “And every time I needed help with my homework, they always seemed to know the answers. So I figured they were pretty smart. That example was good enough for me to follow.”
Based on his background, the two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat (winning rings in each of his first two seasons) says athletics were never the top priority for him until the day he became a pro.
“I went to college to get my education,” he said. “Sports was what was paying for college, being on a scholarship, but I still understood that I had to get my education. When I had a chance to play pro, this was the first time that sports kind of was ‘over’ education. But I still read a lot, to keep my mind sharp outside of sports.”
Cole has carved out a stellar NBA career, reaching the postseason every year, including helping New Orleans qualify for the playoffs last season for the first time since 2011. But he understands that athletic careers don’t last forever. With a college degree and the experience he’s gained professionally, he’s put himself in position to someday be able to move on to the next step in his life, possibly in coaching or athletic training.
“From my major in college, I always can apply anatomy and physics to sports,” Cole said of how his degree still helps him as an active athlete. “I also have a passion for basketball and helping kids, especially from my area in Dayton. I always thought I wanted to do a mentoring program with basketball training. I like to keep education and sports together, emphasizing being a good student-athlete and having good community-service skills. That’s kind of what I preach at my camps and what my (Dayton-based) foundation is about. That’s probably what I will do full-time.”
Although it’s rarely brought up sincerely as a vital aspect of the lives of the college players we see on TV during March Madness every spring, in Cole’s case, the education he earned had a direct impact on his ability to become a professional athlete. It’s still something that comes up often, including when he recently had to rehabilitate from a severely sprained ankle that sidelined him for six weeks, prior to his Dec. 1 season debut.
“Discipline is one of the main things you learn,” Cole said. “Anyone can do something one time or two times. But to work out every day, whether you’re tired or not, to get your (practice) shots in, whether you scored 40 points or two points the game before, I learned that. Coming back from injury, you have to have mental toughness. Everything is not always going to go right – that’s part of the game. We play a sport that is a grind physically, which is why we train all year long to be able to sustain and not break down, even when you have an injury. Mental toughness and discipline are how you make it in anything in life.”
