2005: Cottrell was named to the 2005 Lombardi and Bronco Nagurski Watch Lists and will be the Aggies’ starting middle linebacker this season. Cottrell was also selected as a preseason second team All-WAC pick and ranked #17 on the Top 30 WAC Players List by CollegeFootballNews.com. He has started 33 of 34 games of his career.
2004 (Junior): Cottrell had another outstanding season for the Aggies, earning first team All-Sun Belt Conference honors. He led the Aggies in tackles for the third straight season with 99 despite missing nearly two complete games. Cottrell was injured and left the game in the first quarter against UTEP and missed the following game against UL Lafayette. Cottrell finished second on the team with eight tackles for loss, while recording two forced fumbles. Against Utah State (11/20). Cottrell flew all over the field collecting a career-high 19 tackles, 13 of them solo efforts. Earlier in the season against New Mexico (9/24), Cottrell recorded 16 tackles. He tallied four games with double-digit tackles and has 284 tackles in his three seasons as an Aggie.
2003 (Sophomore): Cottrell led the Aggies with 83 tackles as a sophomore including three double-digit tackle games. Cottrell finished third on the team in tackles for loss (8) and recorded six of those tackles in the final five games. He finished the season in style by registering 11 tackles, breaking up a pass, and had a tackle for loss against Sun Belt Conference champion North Texas (11/25). He also had 12 tackles against Oregon State (9/13) and Idaho (10/4). Cottrell had a spectacular game against Arkansas (11/15). He finished with seven total tackles, all solo, two tackles for a loss, including a quarterback sack. He also had nine tackles, including two for loss against Arkansas State (11/1).
2002 (Redshirt Freshman): Cottrell registered 102 tackles, six and a half tackles for loss and had two quarterback sacks while starting all 12 games at middle linebacker. He started his Aggie career in fine fashion by registering 10 tackles, nine of them solo against nationally ranked South Carolina (8/31). He had a monster game against Middle Tennessee (11/2), registering a career high 15 tackles, an interception, combined on a quarterback sack and had a forced fumble. His biggest play of that game was forcing a fumble from Dwone Hicks on the Middle Tennessee 11-yard line with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter that led to an Aggie touchdown and a 24-14 lead in an eventual 24-21 victory. He also intercepted a pass at the Blue Raider 27-yard line that led to an Aggie field goal and a 3-0 second quarter lead. Cottrell had 11 tackles the next week at Utah State (11/9) and 13 stops against North Texas (11/16) in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. He also had 11 tackles in the Aggies’ victory over UL Lafayette (10/12) in the league opener. Cottrell registered a 10-yard sack against former Cal quarterback and NFL #1 round draft pick Kyle Boller (9/7) late in the first half.
2001 (Freshman): Cottrell suffered a broken bone in his foot during two-a-days and missed the entire season. He reinjured the foot during spring conditioning drills.
High School: Cottrell earned three letters and served as team captain as a junior and senior. He played nose guard as a sophomore before moving to linebacker for his final two seasons. He was named Continental League Player of the Year as a senior and was honored as the county’s defensive player of the year. Cottrell was also named first-team All-State as a senior and first-team All-League and All-County as a junior. He lettered twice as a wrestler and was ranked as high as fourth in the state at 215 pounds.
Personal: Jimmy Allen Cottrell was born in Denver, Colo. and is the son of Jim Cottrell and Tammi McIlvain. He is majoring in History.
