Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The unrelenting back pain was one thing, but the throbbing in his extremities, and in places he couldn’t explain, was too much.

Nevertheless, Trent Cole kept his head down and suffered in silence. Pain and NFL football are inseparable. You cannot, he figured, have one without the other.

That is, until Cole reached the point at which he could no longer persevere. Out of options, the Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker had surgery to repair an intensely painful bulging disk, accepting the potential negative outcomes associated with the decision.

“(Coming back) was far-fetched,” Cole said. “With this kind of surgery, it can be career-ending, at least season-ending. I didn’t know. I just knew that with my mentality and the pride that I have as a player – that kind of pride that can get you hurt again (laughing) – that I would try to make it back.

“But you never know.”

Now we do.

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Cole returned to the Colts’ active roster last week, nine weeks after being placed on injured reserve. He gave the defense a much-needed spark in the Colts’ 41-10 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night.

“When you get an injury like that and your career flashes in front of your face,” Cole said, “it’s like you don’t want to waste time.”

When Cole was placed on injured reserve Sept. 27, the news caused barely a ripple. Given his lack of effectiveness, Cole had become an afterthought. In the two games while previously on the active roster, Cole collected a mere three tackles. And he certainly was never in the same area code as the opposing quarterback, offering the Colts no pass-rush presence.

What Cole never shared was just how much pain he was in.

“I was playing with it for a while and you kind of get numb to it after a while,” he said. “But it affects your body heavily. Not just pain going down your legs. It’s your whole body.”

Cole finally had to admit the back injury was getting the best of him.

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“It really opened my eyes,” he said. “I would have other things that would be hurting and I couldn’t figure out why. It was probably because of the nerves being (affected). Here I am thinking I’m just sore from a game. I have a lot of pride and I figured, ‘Well, that’s just the way it is.’”

Granted Cole is 34 and in his 12th NFL season, but, come on.

So, he goes on IR and is promptly forgotten. The Colts defense was bad with him and could be bad without him, went the conventional logic.

All the while, Cole was working behind the scenes to ensure his appearance in Week 3 against the San Diego Chargers would not be his last. But even his biggest backers admit Cole’s return was never a sure thing.

“The good Lord just gave him something that a lot of us don’t have,” coach Chuck Pagano said. “I don’t know what’s in his DNA, but He gave him something special.”

A couple of weeks ago, while reporters were present at practice, Cole took to an adjacent field with a team trainer and began doing some rather impressive rehabilitation. It immediately became clear Cole was on the mend.

But then he was actually activated – teams can re-activate one player from injured reserve after a minimum six-week wait – and he not only played, but started Monday’s game. And, wouldn’t you know it, Cole played like a guy who did not have a major back injury.

The statistical sheet didn’t do his performance justice. Cole finished with a pair of solo tackles, a pass deflection and a quarterback hurry, but the eye test told you a bit more. He played fast and was stout against the run, gave the pass rush a little life and his hits left a mark on their targets. Cole made his opportunities count, doing it all in just 24 snaps.

“We needed that,” defensive coordinator Ted Monachino said. “We needed a bigger body who could be a dominant, physical force on the edge.”

Expectations for Cole should remain reasonable. Everyone agrees his best days are behind him. He’s certainly no longer the pass rusher he was – he had 12½-sack seasons twice with the Philadelphia Eagles – more suited these days to being an early-down run stopper.

But don’t dismiss his ability to help the Colts down the stretch. If his back was as much of a factor as he indicated, maybe Cole has more to offer.

“He wasn’t ever healthy,” Monachino said. “It’s good to see him now as healthy as he is. I don’t think he’s felt good physically in a long, long time.”

Said Cole: “I can tell you that after having the surgery, I feel like a whole different person.”

And, because of that, the Colts hope he also can be a different player.

Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.