DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Former Delaware Valley College football and track and field standout Ted Cottrell '69 has been elected to the inaugural class of the Middle Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame.
The MAC introduced its Hall of Fame as part of its 100th anniversary kickoff for the upcoming 2012-13 season. The inaugural class consists of 36 honorees that were selected from current and former conference members.
Cottrell was a defensive star on the gridiron for the Aggies as he was a two-time College Football Coaches Association Kodak All-American (second team in 1967 and honorable mention in 1968). He earned a spot on the all-MAC Northern Division first team on three occasions and helped the team have a five-win turnaround from his freshman to senior season.
Cottrell threw the shot put for the Delaware Valley track and field team and was three-time MAC champion and record holder in the event. He held the school record for a number of years as well. As in football, he served as a team captain.
Following graduation (a degree in food industry), Cottrell was selected in the seventh round (164th overall pick) of the 1969 National Football League draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He spent two seasons with the Falcons and one with the Winnipeg Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
After his playing career was over, Cottrell moved into the coaching ranks. He began at Rutgers University and then moved onto the profession ranks where he had stints in the NFL with Kansas City, Buffalo, Arizona, back to Buffalo, the New York Jets, Minnesota and San Diego. He served as the defensive coordinator at his last four stops and was mentioned as a possible NFL head coach candidate on numerous occasions.
In 2009, Cottrell was named the head coach of the New York franchise in the United Football League. Following that, he returned to the NFL and is currently serving as an NFL-NFLPA on-field appeals officer.
Cottrell was back on the Delaware Valley campus for Homecoming last fall and gave a pre-game speech to the current Aggie squad. He will be recognized on campus for the MAC Hall of Fame honor at a date to be determined.
