To Zamir Cobb, football has always been simple. As a youngster, he played football in a park across the street from Howard University in a tough, inner-city Washington, D.C., neighborhood. To him, that’s where football should be played – outside, in the open, in the heart of the city. That’s his comfort zone.

That’s what attracted Cobb to Temple. That’s what the school’s Philadelphia campus offers.

Cobb might as well be back in D.C., starring at wide receiver for Theodore Roosevelt High School. He’s back in his comfort zone – just the way he likes it.

Saturday, Cobb and his Owl teammates will travel north to face Syracuse at 1:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

‘The environment here helps inner-city kids out,’ Temple wide receivers coach Rob Likens said. ‘We obviously recruit kids from all over, but inner-city kids like Zamir fit in really well here.’

Theodore Roosevelt High School football coach Daryl Tilghman said Cobb was raised in a tight community, but most of the families were poor.

Football was simple for Cobb at Roosevelt. But off the field, he struggled. Becoming college eligible was difficult. His grades were fine, but he couldn’t get the SAT score required to play in Division I-A.

Most schools interested wanted Cobb to better his grades by attending community college. Temple head coach Bobby Wallace liked what Cobb had to offer and gave him a chance. Cobb had to maintain a 2.0 grade point average through 24 credit hours. If he did, he could redshirt and play the following season.

‘He started out real immature and silly,’ Tilghman said. ‘He realized that he couldn’t be like that. Now his work ethic is unmatched. He’s always trying to get better.’

Cobb flourished in the classroom at Temple. He maintained the necessary GPA, and now, according to Likens, he’s a model student for his teammates. Cobb has a 3.0, and has made the athletics director’s honor roll the last three semesters.

The summer after his redshirt freshman year, Cobb also underwent several other life changes. He found Islam. He changed his name from from Charles to Zamir Abdul-Hakim. Tilghman said that Cobb always liked to study and was fascinated by Islam.

He also married his fiancee, Ashley, that same year. Tilghman said it made him incredibly mature.

‘Coach Wallace was very genuine and honest with me,’ Cobb said. ‘It was important to me that they were willing to give me a chance.’

Said Tilghman: ‘He could have gone to other schools like Wake Forest or Hampton. But he liked the whole setting. Coach Wallace was in his corner and made him feel welcome. I thought he could have gone somewhere else, but he said he wanted to go to school where he wanted to go and not where I wanted him to go. I trusted him and gave him my blessing.’

Once Cobb made it on the field, he proved he was worth the chance. Cobb pulled in 27 catches for 317 yards in his first season. A hernia held him out for most of 2001, but last season, Cobb showed the Big East what he’s capable of accomplishing. He started all 12 games and led the Owls with 45 receptions for 483 yards and six touchdowns.

Now, with Temple struggling through its final Big East season, Cobb has made it his mission to earn recognition for his team. He became Temple’s all-time leading receiver with his 131st career reception in an Oct. 11, 38-13 loss to Boston College. This season, he leads Temple with 54 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns. He’s shown his punt-return ability, averaging 13.4 yards per return.

‘He never mentions any stats,’ Likens said. ‘When he broke the Temple receptions record, he didn’t even mention it.’

Still, despite his impressive resume, Cobb has failed to gain national recognition, mostly because of Temple’s 1-7 record. With Pittsburgh wideout Larry Fitzgerald getting most of the recognition in the Big East, it’s easy to forget about Cobb.

‘Just watching (Fitzgerald), he’s putting up numbers for both of us,’ Cobb said. ‘If you split his numbers in his half, we’d both be doing pretty good.

‘Not getting recognition has to bother you a little because that’s what you play and train for. I also look it at it from the team aspect. I want the team to get recognized.’

Tilghman believes that Cobb will play in the NFL. His best chance is to break in as a special teams player, a role that suits Cobb’s remarkable speed. Tilghman thinks Temple could use Cobb’s speed more and spread the field with him on offense. Since that hasn’t happened, Cobb needs to work on blocking and special teams to impress pro scouts.

Cobb hopes the NFL dreams come true. If not, he’s earning a degree in social administration. Not bad for a kid who almost didn’t make it into college.

‘I’ve dreamed of the NFL every night, everyday since I first put my hand on the pigskin,’ Cobb said.

Said Tilghman: ‘He’s going to be in some teams’ camp. Coaches look for kids with a strong work ethic. He’s always on the dean’s list and he’s married, which shows his maturity level. Character is something that’s very important. If they pass up on him, they’re missing out on a special individual.’

Published on November 5, 2003 at 12:00 pm