Following his senior season at the University of Cincinnati in 2005, Trent Cole battled not one, but two, bouts of pneumonia while preparing for the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

"I got sick from training so hard and I lost a lot of weight," says Cole, who announced today that he will retire as an Eagle on Christmas night when he's set to be the Honorary Alumni Captain presented by Santander. "I went to the Combine and I couldn't participate. I was so sick that I couldn't focus. It was so bad that when I went to the meetings they told me just to go back to the (hotel) room and take care of myself."

A two-time All-Conference USA defensive end, Cole's draft stock dropped along with his weight. He was chosen by Philadelphia in the fifth round with the 146th overall selection.

"It didn't matter who I was going to, it was just great to have the opportunity to start somewhere in the NFL. And getting picked by the Philadelphia Eagles, I was ecstatic," says Cole, who estimates he lost 35 pounds from his illnesses. "Going through the process of the draft, anybody who has been in the NFL and had the opportunity to get drafted knows the feeling on that day, just the nervousness. Your life is going to change that day. You don't know what's going to happen.

"You think you're going to go on the first day and then you go on the second day because different things were supposed to happen. Some people didn't get who they wanted and things change. You're nervous, but at the same time, when you get drafted it was like, 'Oh, man, this is awesome. I'm getting the opportunity to go play in the National Football League.' As a kid, I was the type of guy that didn't really watch football and now here I am. I'm playing football for the Philadelphia Eagles. It's crazy."

Becoming a mainstay at defensive end beginning midway through his rookie season, Cole earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and the solid reputation of playing with seemingly limitless heart and energy on every play. His relentless work ethic was widely respected by players, coaches, and fans alike.

"When I'm lining up against somebody, I'm not worried about him, I'm in competition with myself. I'm not in competition with an opponent," says Cole. "I remember when Chip Kelly (became the Eagles' head coach in 2013) saying something like, 'We won the war, but we have to win the battle.' And when he said that, I already had that mentality and it kind of brought me back to where I come from and coming into the league and playing football, in general.

"I was always a tougher guy from grade school, all the way through high school to college to the NFL. I competed against myself. I was going to see how far I could take myself. I wanted to be successful as much as I can and there was no limit to how much I could be successful. That was just something that was instilled in me.