It wasn’t time yet for Coe’s Stone Cummins

CEDAR RAPIDS – Stone Cummins loves football. His passion has kept him in the game.

Even when a back injury sidelined the Coe senior all of last season, he was determined to don a helmet and shoulder pads again. Cummins just wasn’t ready for a life without football.

“It’s a little bit different position, playing Division III than Division I. You have to love football, if that’s what you want to do, and I really do,” Cummins said. “I was going to wait until I could come back. I had no doubts that I would be back to play.”

Cummins served as a student assistant a year ago and now returns as one of the cornerstones of the defensive line. He has gained a new appreciation for the game and will be looked upon as a leader for the Kohawks, who open the season Thursday night at Bremner Cup rival Cornell, starting at 7 p.m.

“I’m so excited,” Cummins said. “I’m very fortunate coaches helped me take care of all the paperwork and I was able to get back this year. I’m just pumped to be around the guys again.”

Cummins was a second-team all-American Rivers Conference defensive end in 2023. He was set to play last year but realized his back issues weren’t going to cease. He elected to shut down the season before it started with hopes of receiving a fifth year. The decision came with a price, foregoing to play a final year with his classmates. He would have preferred being on the field than the sideline.

“It was very tough not competing for a year,” Cummins said. “I didn’t get to wrestle either.

“All the coaches did a great job of letting me stay involved. I was able to help with the defense as much as I could last year.”

Cummins didn’t disconnect from the team. He remained to help coaches. Cummins assumed various duties, setting up for gameday, moving equipment, dissecting video, writing down plays, setting up iPads and headsets. Anything Coe defensive coaches needed, Cummins was willing to assist.

“It was absolutely a new experience,” Cummins said. “I never had to sit out like that. It was definitely new trying to help on the sidelines and learn that role.

“I was always interested in it. I enjoy that stuff and I just like being around the guys.”

The opportunity had an unexpected effect. The new perspective as an assistant benefited his outlook as a player.

Cummins was able to gain a different view of schemes and how the defensive machine operates during practices. He was limited to his focus as a lineman. Cummins observed how all aspects gelled.

“I was able to stand behind the defense every practice last year,” Cummins said. “Being able to get in the back was a huge change, being able to see the defense work and how everything folds together.

“That was interesting to see, too. I enjoyed that.”

Playing halted but learning continued. Cummins consulted outside linebackers coach Alex Tchangam, absorbing techniques on pass rushing, timing snap counts and understanding multiple motions. All have been applied to his on-field repertoire.

“I was able to stay involved and learn a lot that I didn’t know,” Cummins said. “I think it will give me a leg up this year because I just didn’t know it. Now, I have another year of experience.”

The long wait ended with a preseason scrimmage. Cummins relished the chance to be side-by-side with teammates and butting heads with an opponent. He said he was 100 percent at Coe’s media day last week.

“It was awesome,” Cummins said. “It’s been over a year since I competed against anybody. I was tickled to death. I was super pumped.”

The 23-year-old is longer in the tooth than some of the inexperienced players stepping into starting roles this season. Coe will need his same impact as 2023, recording 37 tackles with 21 solo, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

“Just tried to do the best I can to help them be a good teammate, good role model around them,” Cummins said. “Make sure I help them with any questions they have. Make sure they’re doing good in school and talk to them as much as I can about things outside of football.

“Try to be a good leader by example.”

The Kohawks face the Rams for the 134 th time, starting in 1891. Coe leads the series, 78-51-4, and has won 24 straight meetings. Cornell’s last victory came in 1999.

“I feel pretty good where our guys are at,” Coe Coach Tyler Staker said during media day. “They’re hungry. They are excited to compete at a high level.”

Comments: k.j.pilcher@thegazette.com