Detailing the stand out career of Josh Cordero and his plans to make it to the next level.
After an impressive career and breakout senior year, defensive back Josh Cordero earned All-American honors via the Associated Press, AFCA, and D3football.com. This was a culmination of hard-work for Cordero who has been a member of Cortland football since 2018. The 24-year-old “knew he needed a breakout year (in 2022) to get on the professional radar.”
Before his stint at Cortland, Josh attended Monroe-Woodbury high school in upstate New York. As a member of the Crusaders in 2016, he was the #1 ranked wide receiver in section 9 and was an All-State player in AA-1. The standout was also both offensive and defensive MVP in his senior season.
Despite the accolades, Cordero garnered no scholarship interest, thus leaving him with just division II and III offers. The All-State player felt he was worthy of a scholarship, leading him to Alabama A&M University. As a preferred walk-on, or a player the coach wants on the team but is unwilling to give financial compensation, he “proved a lot to himself and those teammates down South, especially coming from New York.”
While being mainly a scout player with the Bulldogs, Josh ran into financial troubles as he was on his way to becoming a scholarship player with the university. He returned home to deal with various personal issues, thus keeping him from football and school for an entire calendar year.
As a man of faith, Cordero said “I trusted God to take care of everything along the journey and never lost faith in his promises.”
After receiving encouragement from two high school teammates, he saw Cortland as “an opportunity to get back on track with my academics and football.”
In 2018, Cordero joined the team as a running back. Throughout his first year he contributed mainly on scout teams. In 2019, though, Josh began his career as a defensive back where he felt he could most utilize his athletic prowess.
The phenom proved himself correct as a three-year starter at the position with the Red Dragons.
In his senior season, Josh filled up the stat sheet each week totaling 39 tackles, six interceptions, and seven pass breakups. He also tied two school records with three interceptions versus TCNJ and three defensive touchdowns in a season. Even with these statistics, many remember Cordero’s shutdown performance versus Utica’s first-team All-American receiver. As his primary defender, Josh held the receiver to just three catches for 18 yards.
Despite the dazzling numbers, Cordero refuses to ride into the sunset. As soon as the fall semester concluded, he was on his way to Scottsdale, Arizona to begin training for a chance at a pro stint.
His position coach from the 2022 season, Dylan Dubuque, believes Cordero has what it takes to play at the next level. Dubuque, a former All-American himself, said “his journey is proof that he can make it to the next level. It becomes realistic if he knows the right people.”
Josh appears to be finding the right people as his trainer Nicholas Edmond works with various clients throughout the NFL, CFL, and USFL. He hopes that “Edmond’s expertise prepares him both mentally and physically for the professional level.”
Cordero acknowledges the uphill climb he is submerged in but recognizes it is part of the process: “I’m praying that I perform optimally at the pro day as I need to stand out even more coming from a division III program.”
Regardless, Josh’s tenacity and heart embody a Cortland Red Dragon. The remarkable cornerback adds that “there is no education like adversity.”