ANDERSON – The careers of Trent Cole and Todd Herremans have been virtually intertwined through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
The two were selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, just 20 picks apart in the 2005 NFL Draft.
That was the high.
The low came a decade later, when after 10 seasons with the Eagles, the two were released a week apart.
As both unexpectedly hit the free agency market prior to the new league year in March, they wouldn't be separated for long.
After 269 combined starts in Philadelphia, Cole and Herremans were heading to Indianapolis.
However, they couldn't escape their old home, just yet.
When the NFL schedule was released in April, it didn't take long for the former Eagles to see their old friends.
"It's going to be fun," Cole says of Sunday's preseason opener against the Eagles. "It's going to be a good time to get back and see my other home. That's going to be my home, too, no matter what. But like I said, I'm here with the Indianapolis Colts. This is my new home and new family. I'm proud to be here and regret nothing that happened there or coming here.
"I'm looking forward to going back to Philly with the team and see what we've worked on here in Anderson, Indiana, in this camp."
Coming from Saginaw Valley State, Herremans can only recall one time he's played against a former college teammate.
Sunday will obviously be a different situation.
Herremans has chatted with former Eagles Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins to get their thoughts on what it was like to return to Philadelphia, as a visitor.
"(They) have all told me, the weirdest thing is just going to the visitor locker room and coming out of the visitor's tunnel," Herremans says.
"I think that will be weird but other then that it's just football when you get out there. I think it will actually be fun. It's very rare that I actually get to play in the NFL against people that I know."
It is still just the preseason, but there will obviously be a mix of emotions for the new Colts duo.
However, when that ball is snapped for the series or two Cole and Herremans will likely log on Sunday afternoon, the emotions will be long gone.
"I'm here with a great quarterback, great organization, great coach and I got my teammate I came in with, two of the longest tenures at the Philadelphia Eagles," Cole says with a laugh.
"(But) we're Colts now. We're birds no more. We're Colts."
