Football,Basketball,Track
Favorite athlete: Russell Westbrook
Favorite team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Best memory competing in sports: My first varsity touchdown sophomore year.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Getting cramps in my calf muscle after celebrating with a teammate.
Music on iPod: Hip Hop
Future plans: Attend Lock Haven University
Words to live by: “Relentless and Fearless”
One goal before turning 30: Travel the world.
One thing people don’t know about me: I started football in first grade.
By GORDON GLANTZ
Upper Dublin basketball coach Josh Adelman might not to be accused of seeing visions, but he was a bit of a visionary when he first laid eyes on Michael Cottom.
“As a head coach and middle school teacher in the School District of Upper Dublin, you have an opportunity to meet your future players in the classroom setting before you even get them on the court,” said Adelman. “I met Michael when he was in sixth grade. He was in my Health class. He was a quiet kid and basically fit right in with his peers. I didn't realize how talented athletically he was until I saw him in a Physical Education class.”
Although sixth graders can't participate in interscholastic competition until seventh Grade, Cottom left a calling card.
“Michael displayed this blinding speed in all the different sports units we covered in PE class,” said Adelman. “It was a sight to behold. Some kids are fast, but Michael is by far the fastest kid I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. As a basketball coach, I immediately thought I had my future point-guard developing before my eyes.”
It was only fitting that the basketball career of Cottom, while being coached by Adelman, ended with his speed being put to good use.
“He scored 13 points and set up his teammate for the winning lay-up with 4.6 seconds left on the clock in overtime against Quakertown,” said Adelman. “Quakertown had just taken a one-point lead, 63-62, on a three point shot. Most teams would have probably had to heave a three-point prayer or contested foul line jumper buzzer beater, but not us with Michael's speed.
“We drew up a play that we worked on in practice. It called for Michael to receive the ball in stride heading down the court. In your mind, 4.6 seconds is not a lot of time, but Michael raced down the court, faked two guys out a half-court, headed to the foul-line to face another defender, and had enough unselfishness and court vision to pass to a wide open teammate on the baseline for an uncontested lay-up as time expired. We won.”
For Cottom, the Univest Male Featured Athlete, it is yet another senior memory – following a 12-2 football season as a running back/receiver/returner and heading into his first foray into high school track as a sprinter – that is etched in his mind.
“It was one of the best plays I ever had in basketball,” said Cottom. “There were 4.6 seconds left on the clock. I had just missed two free throws that could have ended the game for us. My teammates told me to use my speed. I found the open man for a layup and we put the game away.”
There was a perilous moment in time when the vision Adelman had of his future point guard appeared in jeopardy, or was at least derailed.
Cottom had suffered a serious ankle sprain prior to his junior football season, which carried over to basketball.
“As Michael progressed through the system, the injury bug kept appearing and it cost him some valuable playing time over the years,” said Adelman. “Especially last season as a junior. He was primed to be a big part of a very talented team, and early in his Football season, he suffered a bad injury to his leg. He missed just about his entire Junior year, only getting to play a few games and getting a little experience in the playoffs, but then he got sick and missed our final game against Downingtown West.”
The lost time could not be recovered, but Cottom was ready to make up for lost time. He made it through football season relatively healthy, and then worked to get into basketball shape.
“That was really tough,” said the son of Shannon and Michael Cottom. “Basketball practice started three days later. It was insane. It took about a week.”
But it lasted a season.
“He came into his senior season knowing that this was his team and obviously his last chance to display his talent on the basketball court,” said Adelman. “He didn't disappoint. Out of a 32-minute varsity game, Michael had to play approximately 31 minutes. His endurance and drive to stay on the court was remarkable the entire season.
“I don't know where his energy comes from, but besides resting during a foul shot or timeout, Michael's motor never stops. Teams knew he was our primary ball handler and tried to deny him the ball, but they couldn't. You look at the athletes and quickness of the guards that PW and Cheltenham always have, and Michael could hang with all of them. He isn't really a scorer, but Michael does an outstanding job driving the lane, dishing to teammates, hitting the short jumper and breaking pressure coming from our opponents. He led by example and was always ready to take on any competition, even though our team had a rebuilding season.
“We didn't celebrate too many victories this season, but Michael went out victorious. I was extremely happy for him.”
Cottom led the team in assists and steals.
“He never quit at any time during the season,” Adelman said. “He showed the desire that his younger teammates needed to see and hopefully emulates this offseason. He was our MVP this season and has a bright future ahead of himself.
“In our last game of the season, Michael once again left it all on the court.”
Perhaps the last game of the basketball season goes back to the first game of the football season.
Although he was ready, physically, there was plenty of anxiety about playing on the ankle again. That is when it became time for a father-son chat – one of the many “motivational speeches” from his parents, designed to “just calm me down” -- between the two Michael Cottoms.
“I had memories of playing on that ankle, and I didn’t want to reinjure it,” said Cottom. “My father said, ‘Just get out there and be you.’”
On the opening kickoff of the 2016 season against Methacton, Cottom took his father’s advice and took it to the house.
Added Cottom. “When I had that kick return on the first play of the game that went for a touchdown, I felt like I was back.”
After being hurt and sidelined much of the previous fall, Cottom felt a sense of redemption as a senior, as the Bret Stover-coached Cardinals reached the playoffs and lost just twice in 14 outings. Upper Dublin shared the SOL American Conference title with Plymouth Whitemarsh.
“He is one of those guys who didn’t get healthy until this year,” said Stover. “He had a really good year. He always smiled, didn’t say much and just worked hard every day in practice. I remember him since his youth football days. It has been nice to watch him grow up in the program.
“I never heard anyone – teachers, coaches, other players – ever say a bad word about Michael Cottom. He just smiles and does his job.”
Added Cottom: “My senior year was great. I felt as though I did my part.”
According to Stover, Cottom’s role was to be more of a Swiss Army Knife than to have one set mission. That meant returning kicks, lining up in the slot or as a tailback. It meant going deep for passes or running sweeps.
“He was the guy who blew the top off coverages for us,” said Stover. “He opened things up for other people, but he also had some big plays for us, like one against PW that went for like 60 yards and set us up at the two.”
And another part was taking on a leadership role.
“I realized that I had younger teammates looking up to me, because I remember looking up to my seniors when I was younger,” said Cottom, who will be playing football next year at Lock Haven University.
“Actually, it is the only Division II school to offer me a scholarship,” he added. “All the others were Division III.”
Despite his blinding speed – 4.5 in the 40 – the 165-pound Cottom admits “I’m pretty short” at 5-8. Still, he believes his injury had more to do with scaring teams off.
“Yes, I do,” said Cottom, who plans to major in criminal justice. “But I felt (Lock Haven) is really nice, and I felt like I fit in. The coaches were all really cool.”
Cottom is looking forward to playing receiver in Lock Haven’s up-tempo spread offense, while also factoring in as a return man.
“He is going to be a steal,” said Stover. “His upside – his best football -- is still in front of him. He is going to need to hit the weight room and get to 180-185 pounds, but his speed is that one thing that is going to carry him.
“He could probably be a returner right away for them, and eventually work his way into the offense. In talking with their coaches, that seems to be the plan for him.”
While Lock Haven is an ideal fit, Cottom is still prepared for the transition to college life that will be eased by have three Upper Dublin teammates by his side.
To say he is glad about that would be a major understatement.
“Yeah, I am,” said Cottom, who will be rooming with fellow Cardinal Jalen Heim. “I don’t know if I could do college by myself.”
In a perfect world, more Upper Dublin teammates would go to Lock Haven, but all he could do is wish his former teammates the best.
“For all those other guys who are going on to play in college, I wish them the best of luck,” said Cottom.
Before then, he will turn his attention to track for the first time in his scholastic career, although he has run for club teams in the past.
Call the decision to run – in the 100, 200 and 4X1 relay -- a good kind of peer pressure.
“My friends got me to do it,” said Cottom, who also holds down a part-time job in a nursing home. “Basically, they just told me that since I’m fast, I need to be running track.”
Then again, Adelman could have told him that back in sixth grade.
“Yes, sixth grade,” said Cottom, with a chuckle. “Seventh grade is when he saw me play.
“In addition to my parents, who attended every game – no matter what -- I want to thank both coach Stover and coach Adelman for standing behind me. I have strong love for both of them. They have been there for me since my freshman year. Coach Adelman even before that.”
