Holcomb Working His Way Back

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published October 9, 2025, 5:19 PM

When Cole Holcomb ran onto the field in Jacksonville for the Steelers’ first preseason game, it felt like more than football. For a linebacker who had been sidelined for nearly a year and a half, it was releasing a surge of emotion, a confirmation that the pain, isolation, and quiet fight to recover had led him back to the only place he wanted to be.

“First drive I was, you know, had all those emotions rolling,” Holcomb said. “But then once I got that first snap out, I’m like, got it out of the way. Felt good and then had a decent play on that second drive. After that, it was like, we’re good. Everything went back to normal.”

That “normal” had been missing since November 2023, when Holcomb suffered a horrific leg injury during a Thursday night game that halted his season and, for a moment, his career. The play was so severe that players from both sidelines took a knee as he was carted off the field. He missed the final nine games of that season and the entire 2024 campaign, facing months of uncertainty about whether he would ever play again.

For a linebacker who built his career on toughness and intelligence, the injury wasn’t just a physical challenge, it tested every part of who he was. Through it all, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin watched Holcomb’s determination never waver.

“I think it’s awesome having him back,” Austin said. “He’s tough-minded, really, really sharp, and he’s still rounding into football shape. Because I remember when we got him a couple years ago, he started the season, and as we got going, he was really playing well and then he got injured.”

Austin’s respect for Holcomb has only deepened through the comeback. He’s seen players lose confidence or fade from focus during long rehabs. Holcomb was different.

“Basically, he’s been off for a year and a half,” Austin said. “I kind of see the same trajectory where he’s working his way back into playing football speed, seeing it the right way. I sense that he’ll only continue to get better as the season goes on.”

That progression has been gradual but steady. Holcomb didn’t see a single defensive snap in Week 1, limited strictly to special teams. In Week 2, he played 13 snaps on defense. By Week 3, he was on the field for 37 snaps half of the team’s defensive plays before scaling back to 10 in Week 4 as part of his ongoing reintegration into the Steelers defense. 

For Holcomb, those numbers tell only part of the story. The journey back was built on routine and resolve daily rehab sessions, long hours away from the field, and moments of quiet doubt met with relentless effort.

“That’s always my message,” Holcomb said. “Don’t take it for granted. I’ve had two seasons back-to-back get ended, and this last one, I missed 2024 as well. You catch yourself looking back at old photos thinking, I had no idea my season was going to end that week.”

The physical recovery was grueling enough, but what many don’t see is how isolating it can be. While teammates practiced and traveled, Holcomb’s days revolved around therapy sessions and film study. He stayed engaged as best he could, but the distance was real.

“When you’re not playing and you’re on IR and stuff like that, it’s very isolated,” he said. “They do a great job including us in a bunch of stuff, but it’s still not the same. I’d want to go to meetings, but to get my rehab in and one-on-one with trainers, I’d have to do it during meetings. You miss that time.”

Through it all, he leaned on a support network that never let him feel forgotten. College teammates. Former teammates from Washington and countless family friends help surround Holcomb with uplifting support to help him work himself back to becoming an impact player for Pittsburgh. 

“I’m lucky,” Holcomb said. “I have an amazing support group with my friends and family old college teammates, guys from Washington, my wife, parents, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles everybody’s been supportive.”

That foundation helped him stay mentally anchored. And when he finally stepped back on the field this summer, it wasn’t just about proving he could play it was about showing that the fire still burned the same way.

Austin sees that in every practice rep, every film session, every defensive adjustment Holcomb helps call. His return has brought not only a physical presence but also the kind of experience and steadiness that helps hold a defense together.

“I’m really happy for him because of his journey,” Austin said. “It’s been a rough one, but he’s never wavered really confident in himself and his ability to get back to what he was.”

Holcomb knows that nothing is guaranteed. Every snap is earned, every step measured. But those steps are his again. The long months of rehab, the doubts, the repetition, all of it led to moments like Jacksonville, where football finally felt like home again.

“Hopefully he’ll continue to improve,” Austin said. “I think he’ll only keep getting better as the season goes on.”

That’s the goal now steady, patient progress. No grand declarations, no comeback slogans. Just a veteran linebacker rebuilding himself piece by piece, trusting that the hardest part is already behind him.

When Holcomb lines up at inside linebacker, voice echoing through the defensive huddle, it’s a sound the Steelers missed. It’s the sound of perseverance rewarded and a reminder that some comebacks aren’t defined by a single play, but by the relentless belief it takes to make them possible.

I personally love seeing No. 55 doing his thing again.

It’s what he was meant to do.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com