Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Craig Cole Jr. was the son of Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Lucas Cole Jr. and Alberta Cole, a member of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. His family's military background led to a childhood spent moving all over the country, eventually settling in Texas where Craig attended Arlington Martin High School.
At high school, Craig excelled in both track and football, earning district honors and securing a football scholarship to Navarro College. He went on to play for Arizona State and later transferred to Abilene Christian University, where he received all-conference honors and led his team in all-purpose yards and all-receiving categories for two consecutive years.
After graduating, Craig joined the Arena Football League, playing for seven different organizations and amassing over 6,000 all-purpose yards, 70 touchdowns, two team MVPs, one league MVP, and a championship, setting 13 league records in the process. His success in the Arena League led to opportunities in team and local commercial spots, which renewed his lifelong dream of working in the entertainment industry.
After retiring from football, Craig pursued a career in modeling, appearing in over 50 commercials and becoming an international print model. This led to work as an actor and stuntman on the hit FOX show "Prison Break," followed by appearances in or work on 10 short films, 12 feature-length films, and 70 network television episodes on shows such as AMC's "The Walking Dead," CBS's "Walker Texas Ranger," NBC's "Chase," FOX's "Good Guys," and A&E's "Breakout Kings."
Craig has had the opportunity to work with many prominent stars, including Chuck Norris, Dean Cain, William Fichtner, Gary Coleman, Colin Hanks, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Metcalfe, Teri Polo, Nia Long, and Kelly Giddish, among others. In addition to his work as an actor, stuntman, and producer, Craig has also coached and mentored thousands of kids for the National Junior Tennis League, a non-profit organization under the United States Tennis Association.
