If Colin Schooler can accomplish his goal and make the NFL, heβll have a decision to make.
Which school should he represent on national TV? How will the pregame introductions go?
βColin Schooler, linebacker β¦β
Texas Tech? Arizona?
βIβll probably just say my high school,β Schooler said. βIt would be tough for me to say one school and not the other. Thereβs no way I could make anyone happy,β
βBut shoot, I went to three high schools, so which one do I say? Iβll say Mission Viejo High School.β
Schooler has been on the move for the majority of his football-playing career. Before finishing his last two seasons at Mission Viejo, he prepped at Dana Hills High School and Trabuco Hills High School. And following three seasons at the UA, Schooler transferred to Texas Tech.
As he prepares for the NFL Draft, which takes place Thursday through Saturday, Schooler says he doesnβt have any regrets. Itβs part of who he is.
βLooking back on it, I wouldnβt change anything just because I wouldnβt be here today without it,β he said. βI donβt think Iβd be the same player as I am without it.β
Arizona accomplishments
Schooler enrolled at the UA in 2017 as a three-star recruit. It didnβt take long for him to see the field.
Schooler was starting at βMikeβ linebacker by Week 5. He finished the season with 96 tackles, second-most on the team behind fellow newcomer Tony Fieldsβ 104.
For three seasons, Schooler and Fields were the heart of Arizonaβs defense. The linebackers combined to make 600 tackles. The two remained close after transferring to new schools in 2020. Fields, who went to West Virginia, was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns last year.
βWere always close during our time at Arizona,β Schooler said. βEver since we left, we always stayed in close contact.β
The benefits of having a close buddy in the NFL?
βI picked his brain a little bit about the experience going through Pro Day, meetings and what to expect, tips from rookie minicamp β just stuff you donβt really think about,β Schooler said. βHeβs still a really good friend of mine and we still talk pretty consistently. Itβs a friendship that I donβt take for granted.β
It was during his time at Arizona that Schooler determined he could play in the NFL. After all, he went up against future NFL stars Justin Herbert, Zack Moss, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Philip Lindsey, Ronald Jones, Penei Sewell, Royce Freeman and Tyrell Crosby, among others.
βPlaying against those guys,β he said, β(I knew) as long as I continue to get better, stay with the process and grind, I belong in the NFL.β
Arizona went 7-6 in Schoolerβs first season, advancing to the Foster Farms Bowl. That season delivered two of Schoolerβs all-time favorite moments: He deflected a pass on a two-point conversion in Arizonaβs double-overtime win against Cal, then got to meet former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn during the bowl game.
βI donβt really drool over celebrities or public figures, but it was a cool moment, because (I thought), βWhen I was 5 or 6 years old, I used to cheer for you.β That was pretty cool,β Schooler said.
But then, more change. Arizona fired coach Rich Rodriguez, replacing him with Kevin Sumlin. Schoolerβs position coach, Scott Boone, went with him.
Marcel Yates coached linebackers in 2018, followed by John Rushing midway through the 2019 season. Paul Rhoads was hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the 2020 season, giving Schooler his fourth position coach in as many years. Schooler played for a fifth coach, Kevin Cosgrove, during his two seasons at Texas Tech.
βHaving a different perspective on coaching philosophy, you can take something from everybody and learn,β he said. βThatβs something I was able to learn, because in the NFL, you have to learn on the fly.β
βWe need to go find ballβ
Following the 2019 season, Schoolerβs older brother, Brenden, transferred to Arizona from Oregon.
But the Schooler takeoever was short-lived. The coronavirus pandemic scuttled spring practice and delayed the start the 2020 season. Colin and Brenden Schooler moved to Southern California that spring, returning to Tucson when in June. When they returned, everything had changed: Social distancing, virtual meetings and masks were mandators. So were what Schooler called β6-inch testing sticks shoved up your nose four days a week.β
βThey had us outside on the turf in the Tucson heat under an easy-up tent while wearing a gaiter mask and we were just sweating through it. I was always waterboarding myself, too,β he said.
βWeβre doing Zoom meetings with an entirely new defensive coaching staff, and it was really tough. We were doing everything that they had asked and we had no problems doing it, then the Big Ten canceled their season, then the Pac-12 canceled their season.β
βIt was very stressful in that period of time.β
The Schoolers were forced to make a choice: Stay in the Pac-12, where they could play a shortened season β or no season at all β or transfer to one of the conferences planning to play a 12-game slate.
βWe were like, βWell, the ACC is playing, the SEC is playing and the Big 12 is playing. Why do they get to play? The coronavirus doesnβt discriminate, so why do they get to play?ββ Schooler said. βWe looked at each other like, βWe need to go find ball. They canβt take ball away from us. We gotta go.β β¦I canβt think of another period in time when a whole conference, especially a Power 5 conference, canceled their season. We were all by ourselves basically, making this decision.β
Colin and Brenden Schooler both entered the NCAA transfer portal, and were granted immediate eligibility at their new schools. Colin picked Texas Tech, while Brenden β a defensive back β went to Big 12 rival Texas.
Just as the Schoolers were getting settled, the Pac-12 announced it would play a condensed, conference-only season without fans in attendance.
βIt was tough, but we had already made the decision, so we werenβt going to second-guess ourselves,β Schooler said. βI continued to have success at another school and it really helped me in my evaluation of picking teams. I went to a whole different conference, played teams I never played before, coaches Iβve never played for before, so it was cool to have a different atmosphere. You know how Texas is with their football.β
In two seasons with the Red Raiders, Colin Schooler recorded 169 tackles and 5Β½ sacks. He finished his collegiate career with 316 solo tackles, which ranks fourth all-time in FBS history behind Rod Davis (Southern Miss), Tyler Matakevich (Temple) and Tim McGarigle (Northwestern). Schooler was a Second Team All-Big-12 selection after leading the Red Raiders in tackles his final season.
Schooler still kept tabs on his friends in Tucson. He celebrated when the Wildcats beat Cal in November, snapping a 20-game losing streak that was the longest in the nation.
βWhen they lost to NAU, I was like, βWhen was the last time they won a game?β Shoot, I played for them the last time they won a game and itβs 2021,β he said. βIβm just happy they were able to finally get a win, especially a conference win.β
Arizona linebacker Colin Schooler stuffs NAU running back Aramis Aldredge during the first quarter of their 2019 game.
Dreaming, training together
Colin and Brenden Schooler have stayed in Texas since their senior seasons ended. The two have stayed in a rental between Dallas and Austin so they can train at Atlet Sports, a training compound that helped train Pro Bowl edge rusher Von Miller.
βIβve put in a lot of work,β Colin Schooler said.
The Schoolers say the ability to re-connect and train together, like they did growing up in Southern California and briefly at Arizona, has been the most enjoyable part of the last few months.
βItβs just different when you have your brother pushing you, and then youβre pushing him as well. β¦ Itβs been really good for the both of us,β Colin said.
Brenden Schooler is hoping for the best, but is prepared to make the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
βAll the teams have told me that Iβm going to come in and be a special teams guy. Thatβs going to help me make a 53-man roster, but Iβm willing to do anything,β he said. βI just want the opportunity to make the 53-man roster and prove to these coaches that Iβm worth taking that chance, whether itβs a draft pick or as a free agent.β
Colin Schooler sought pro football advice from two college football legends: Ex-Texas Tech linebacker Zach Thomas and former Arizona safety Chuck Cecil.
β(Thomas) has so much fire when he talks about football. β¦ We talked for a long time about ball and how much passion he has for it,β Schooler said. βChuck Cecil is the same thing. Heβs the nicest, calmest guy ever, but if you start talking about football, you see thereβs a different mode that he has, where he still has that fire and can turn it on and crack somebodyβs helmet. But talking with Zach Thomas and Coach Cecil, preparation is everything. What you put into this game is what youβre going to get out, so that was the main thing I took away from those conversations.β
Colin Schooler stood out at Texas Techβs pro day, clocking a 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds while posting a shuttle time of 4.28 seconds a three-cone drill time of 6.96 seconds. Schooler was the third-fastest prospect in all three of the aforementioned categories among the participants at Texas Tech's pro day.Β
Still, ProFootballNetwork.com says Schooler has “poor measurables.” Schooler said he prefers to let his numbers speak for themselves.
βItβs like, βYeah, but I have 250 more tackles than the guy youβre looking at, so does that not come into question?ββ he said. βThere are things I canβt control, like common sense for others, but I can control my attitude, continue to work and then once I get my opportunity, Iβm going to control how I use it.β
Another part he canβt control: Where he plays in the NFL. And whether Brenden goes with him.
βWe got a trial run when we transferred, because we both knew we probably werenβt going to go to the same place,β Schooler said. βItβs kind of the same thing this way. Brenden is a Swiss Army knife and can play offense, defense, is a special teams guy. Thatβs something thatβs always been unique about him, while Iβve only strictly played linebacker. So, itβs, βWhat team needs a linebacker? What team needs a Brenden?β β¦ Hopefully we can end up in the same spot.
βItβd be easier for me to find a roommate if that happened. But I guess itβs a good problem to have if my brother goes to a different team than I do.β
Theyβll find out this week.
