He started his career at Mitchell High School, where he was named to the All-State team in both his junior and senior years, earning All-American honors his senior year. Cole went on to play at Indiana University, where he started at fullback his sophomore, junior, and senior years. In 1967, he was named MVP of the annual Old Oaken Bucket game against Purdue University, rushing for 155 yards and one touchdown.
After his NFL career, Cole started several small businesses and was president of Cole-Chem, a diversified specialty chemical company. Cole was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the Zora Clevenger award in 2005, the highest honor given to a former IU athlete. In September 2000 the Mitchell High School (Indiana) football field was officially renamed Terry Cole Field.[2]
