Class of 2023: Mount Rainier Recruit Has UW Connection, Hopes to Make Another
Curtis Wells purposely hasn't been inside Husky Stadium since his playing days ended in the 1980s, with the former University of Washington wide receiver and roverback freely admitting he neglected his college football career.
His adopted stepson Pierre Cole, a Mount Rainier High School defensive back and a Class of 2023 recruit, is trying his best to reunite the man and the stadium.
While he's a few years out, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Cole is working hard to draw the attention of the Huskies and give Wells every reason to walk back into his old college setting.
"An offer from the University of Washington would be a dream come true," he said. "My dad played for the Huskies."
Curtis Wells isn't the first name that comes up when people talk about great defensive backs or wide receivers at Washington. Wells used his speed as an 800-meter and relay-team sprinter for a state-champion team Garfield High School to become a Husky football player in 1985-88.
By his own admission, he didn't do himself any favors in trying to move up the depth chart and get on the field.
"I missed a lot of class and didn't get to play very much," Wells said.
Wells and Cole connected when the former married the latter's mother in 2017 and adopted him. The stepson is highly motivated to succeed as a football player.
On Cole's first high school play as a freshman at Garfield in 2018 he made a tackle on special teams. He played well enough to start the final five games, including a state playoff contest.
"Special teams is fun because you have to be fearless," he said.
The following summer, Cole reclassified and transferred to Mount Rainier High in Des Moines, Washington, moved to safety for the Rams and started the entire season.
While he might be fearless, Cole benefits from his dad's knowledge of the game. Under the tutelage of Wells, his stepfather's grasp of the position helped get him on the field early on and keep him there.
"His fearlessness reminds me of Earl Thomas," Wells said. "He attacks the ball-carrier in run support and isn't afraid to take on bigger receivers."
Cole's Husky lineage extends beyond his dad. His cousins Johri and Zack Fogerson were highly regarded players for Washington.
Oddly enough, Cole used to watch old footage of Florida and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and was inspired by Tebow's leadership capabilities, which he tries to emulate.
"I make sure that my teammates are keeping their heads up, even if they don't make a play," he said. "I get the refocused and tell them that there's another play. I know that if I beat them up, they can become defeated so I lift them up."
Cole also takes the time to encourage his stepfather, now 53, to stay in shape. Wells won an Emerald Cup body-building competition in 2018, but he didn't maintain his physique. Cole knew how to get him back on track.
"My weight slipped a little bit," Wells said. "I was up to 240 pounds and Pierre said, 'Dad, you don't look like the Emerald Cup champion, you look like a coffee cup champion.' I'm back down to 209 pounds. My goal is to get back under 200 pounds by my birthday."
Wells spends an equal amount of time teaching Cole how to be mentally prepared for the game as much as physically ready. He uses his personal experiences to make his point, sharing how anxiety and his actions derailed his college career.
They both have each other's best interests at heart now.
"I used to feel guilty that I didn't reach my potential and that I let my coaches and teammates down," Wells said. "Now I feel that God has brought Pierre into my life and me into Pierre's life. Pierre is helping me mentally move past that failure and I'm helping him mentally prepare for the game of football and of life."
Maybe it will bring them both into Husky Stadium someday.