It was evident at a young age that he was going to be a standout athlete. He could run faster, cut quicker, jump higher and leap farther than anyone else his age. Yep, Jason Cole was destined to be a star.

That destiny has landed Cole at Saint Louis University. And in his senior year, he is at the top of his game; the game of soccer, that is.

Cole, a native of Kansas City, Mo., is a four-year starter for the Billikens.

While spending his first three years as a defender, stifling some of the country’s top scorers, Cole is now enjoying his final campaign as a forward for SLU.

Cole leads the team with 13 goals and ranks high on the assists tally with four. Cole’s success has led the Bills to a 10-3-2 overall record and a perfect 9-0 home record going into last night’s game against DePaul.

“I would say I am a leader for our team,” Cole said. “I feel that my teammates, especially the younger ones, look up to me because I am a four-year starter and I have been in the tough situations on the field, as well as the easy ones.”

After starting the season 0-2-1, the Billikens found themselves in need of a boost. Enter Cole, who scored the game winner with nine seconds remaining against rival Southwest Missouri State.

Since that goal, the Billikens have reeled off nine straight victories heading into the season’s final stretch.

“At the beginning of the season, we were having some trouble learning how to play as a team,” Cole said. “At that time we were starting three transfers and two or three freshmen; we just weren’t used to playing together. I told our team that we needed to focus more on working together, and the victories started coming once we played well as a team. Now I think we are ready to make a run in the conference tournament.”

As SLU is reaping the benefits of this 5’11”, 22-year-old athlete with the endless smile, it is creepy to even consider the fact that he might have never sported the white and blue Billiken jersey.

Like the other elite group of blue chip, high school standouts, Cole had his pick between some the nation’s top soccer programs. His final list of possible schools entailed such powerhouses as North Carolina, James Madison and Connecticut. But when it came time for Cole to make that most important choice, the idea of playing just four hours from home was the deciding factor. Cole was coming to Saint Louis.

“When I finished my five official visits to various colleges, I sat down with my family and thought about each school,” Cole recalled. “I knew SLU was a good school, but most importantly I wanted to be close to my family. It is so important to me to have my family at my games supporting me.”

For Cole and all Billiken fans, he made the right choice.

“I have really enjoyed my time here at SLU. I have become great friends with the guys on the team. It has been a lot of fun, and I hope to finish off my career here with a special season,” Cole said.

In these last four years, Cole has molded his game into one of the most potent in college soccer. Coming in to SLU, he was a skinny striker who relied on speed to beat his opponents.

But over the years, Cole has developed a new, perfected style of soccer.

“My speed of play and physical strength on the ball is the biggest change in my game,” Cole said. “I believe this has made me a much better player. I am more patient, and this allows me to make more plays to help my team.”

Even in high school in Kansas City, Cole was an obvious standout and a leader.

“You could tell Jason was going to be something special. He was the fastest and the quickest and natural leader on the soccer field. We knew he was going to go places; he is a superb athlete,” said Brian Anselmo, a former high school classmate and teammate on the national champion Udinese team.

Cole’s game would bring fear into his opponents’ eyes, even at such a young age.

That dominating style is still alive in Cole’s soccer game. He can take control of a match with his exceptional speed and powerful foot. So where will these skills take this destined soccer star?

“I will graduate in May and after that I would like to go somewhere in Europe to play. If that doesn’t work out I will join a Major League Soccer team,” Cole explained. “But my real dream is to go overseas. I am not too picky where I play, just as long as it is Europe. The competition is so strong there and the teams’ styles are so diverse.”

Wherever his path may lead, Cole is sure to find success. He will continue to build on his legacy, which began at such an early age and continues to grow each time he throws on that jersey, laces up those cleats and excites the crowd each time he steps onto the field.