Lester Cotton Sr.

Lester Cotton Sr.'s Biography

Lester Cotton Sr., born on February 20, 1996, is an American professional football player. He currently serves as a football guard for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). Recognized for his strength and agility on the field, Cotton’s journey to professional football is characterized by hard work, perseverance, and a raw talent for the game.

Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Cotton’s passion for football sparked at an early age. He attended Central High School, where his initially demonstrated his abilities on the football field. As a high school player, he earned a reputation as a four-star prospect and was selected to compete in the esteemed 2015 Under Armour All-America game. His performance in high school football propelled him to a national ranking as the third best offensive guard by Rivals.com.

Upon graduation, Cotton was flooded with scholarship offers from some of the country’s most prestigious football programs. Despite attractive offers from Auburn, USC, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss, Cotton chose to stay local and attend the University of Alabama.

In his first year at Alabama, Cotton saw game time in four matches. He started his college career as a left guard, playing the first two games, and played three more games as a right guard. He made significant contributions in his freshman year, blocking for nine 100-yard rushing games. Throughout his first season, Cotton showcased his talent in key matches against USC, Kent State, Tennessee Volunteers, and Texas A&M, helping achieve significant offensive gains for the team.

In his junior year, 2017, Cotton established himself as a starting right guard, earning a spot in 13 games. Throughout this period, Cotton earned recognition for his blocking skills. He made significant contributions to the team’s performances against Florida State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and LSU. Despite suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the CFP National Championship against Georgia, Cotton’s exceptional performance throughout the season led him to be a finalist for the Joe Moore award.

In 2018, Cotton made a position shift to left guard, making his debut in the new role against Louisville. Despite the change, Cotton’s performance remained exceptional, helping the Tide achieve high offensive numbers against Arkansas State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi State. As a testament to his and his teammates’ excellence, the Tide’s offensive line only allowed an average of one sack per game in 2018.

Despite a successful college career, Cotton was not selected in the 2019 NFL draft. Instead, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders. Although initially released, he was later recruited to the practice squad. In December 2019, he earned a spot in the active roster, where he played one snap in a single game.

After being released by the Raiders in 2020, Cotton rejoined the team in February 2021. However, in August of the same year, he was waived by the Raiders, only to be re-signed to the practice squad the following day. After the Raiders elimination in the 2021 Wild Card Round, Cotton signed a reserve/future contract on January 17, 2022. Cotton went on to make the Raiders final roster in 2022 as a backup interior lineman and eventually made his first career start at right guard in Week 2.

Unfortunately, Cotton’s journey with the Raiders was marred by injuries. Only a few weeks after making his first career start, Cotton was placed on injured reserve. He was released from the team in mid-December 2022.

However, Cotton’s football journey was not over. On December 20, 2022, Cotton was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad. His proven talent and experience earned Cotton a reserve/future contract with the Dolphins on January 16, 2023.

From his early years as a promising high school athlete to his professional career in the NFL, Lester Cotton Sr. has consistently demonstrated his grit and talent on the football field. Regardless of the adversities faced, Cotton has continued to prove himself to be an integral part of any team he joins, solidifying his place in the American professional football arena.