Last Updated on November 5, 2026 by Mariah Miranda
AJ Cole III is an American football punter for the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). Born on November 27, 1995, in Atlanta, Georgia, Cole established himself as one of the NFL’s leading punters after playing college football at North Carolina State University.
Beyond his professional football career, Cole comes from a supportive family that has played an important role in his development. His parents are Alfred Cole and Kim Cole, who encouraged his athletic ambitions throughout high school, college and his transition to the NFL.
In his personal life, Cole is married to Kylie Pickrell Cole, a professional volleyball player. The couple met at North Carolina State University, began dating in 2017 and married in March 2023.
Although Cole has shared important details about his marriage and parents, information about his children and siblings remains relatively limited.
Here is everything publicly known about AJ Cole’s family, including his wife, children, parents and siblings.
AJ Cole’s Wife: Kylie Pickrell Cole
AJ Cole is married to Kylie Pickrell Cole, an American professional volleyball player who has competed for teams in the United States and Europe.
The couple met while attending North Carolina State University, where AJ played football and Kylie represented the Wolfpack women’s volleyball program.
They began dating in 2017 and continued their relationship while pursuing separate professional sports careers.
After completing college, AJ signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2019, while Kylie pursued opportunities in professional volleyball.
Their careers sometimes required them to live in different cities and countries, creating the challenges associated with a long-distance relationship.
Nevertheless, they continued supporting each other’s athletic ambitions.
Following approximately six years together, the couple married in March 2023.
Their marriage has been confirmed by the Raiders, professional volleyball organizations and interviews with Kylie.
Who Is Kylie Pickrell Cole?
Kylie Pickrell Cole is a professional volleyball player from Coppell, Texas.
Born on September 5, 1996, she developed into an accomplished setter before continuing her athletic career at the college level.
She attended Coppell High School, where she competed in volleyball and earned recognition for her performances.
After graduating, Kylie enrolled at Arizona State University and joined the Sun Devils volleyball program.
She played at Arizona State during the 2015 and 2016 seasons before transferring to North Carolina State University.
Her transfer eventually brought her to the same university where AJ Cole was playing college football.
At NC State, Kylie became one of the leading setters in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Her performances attracted national recognition and helped the Wolfpack achieve important milestones.
Kylie Cole’s College Volleyball Career
Kylie played college volleyball at Arizona State before transferring to NC State in 2017.
During her two seasons with Arizona State, she appeared in 59 matches and recorded 1,196 assists.
After joining NC State, she enjoyed a productive 2017 campaign.
She recorded 1,301 assists, establishing a school rally-scoring-era record at the time.
Her performances earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American recognition, along with All-East Region and first-team All-ACC honors.
She also helped NC State advance to the second round of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
During her senior season in 2018, Kylie continued performing at a high level.
She earned second-team All-ACC recognition and again received All-East Region honors.
Across her two seasons at NC State, she recorded 2,490 assists, 574 digs, 151 kills and 135 blocks.
Her accomplishments established her as one of the university’s leading volleyball players.
Kylie Cole’s Professional Volleyball Career
After completing college, Kylie continued pursuing volleyball professionally.
She began her professional career in France, playing for Terville-Florange OC during the 2019-2020 season.
Her move overseas meant spending significant periods away from AJ, who was beginning his NFL career with the Raiders.
The couple maintained their relationship despite their different schedules and the time-zone differences.
Kylie later competed in the Athletes Unlimited professional volleyball league during the 2020-2021 season.
She subsequently joined the Atlanta Vibe during the inaugural 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation season.
Later that year, she moved to the San Diego Mojo.
In October 2024, San Diego announced that Kylie had signed to return for the 2025 season.
The team’s official announcement also identified her as the wife of Raiders punter AJ Cole.
Her professional achievements demonstrate that both members of the couple have established careers in competitive sports.
When Did AJ Cole Get Married?
AJ Cole and Kylie Pickrell married in March 2023.
The wedding took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Sports Illustrated’s profile of the Raiders’ players and their partners.
By the time they married, the couple had been together for approximately six years.
Their relationship had already included important milestones, including college graduation, professional athletic opportunities and periods of long-distance dating.
During an October 2024 appearance on the Sunday Sports Club podcast, Kylie discussed married life and her experiences as the wife of an NFL player.
She also spoke about how her relationship with AJ had developed while they pursued professional sports careers.
The interview provided firsthand confirmation of their marriage and the challenges they had experienced together.
How AJ Cole and His Wife Manage Two Sports Careers
One of the distinctive aspects of AJ and Kylie’s marriage is that both are professional athletes.
While AJ competes in the NFL, Kylie has played professional volleyball in different leagues and countries.
During her October 2024 podcast interview, Kylie explained that living apart had sometimes been difficult because of the demands of their athletic careers.
When she played in France, the couple faced a substantial time difference.
Communication could become challenging because practices, games and travel often prevented them from speaking regularly.
However, they continued prioritizing their relationship.
Kylie also discussed the uncertainty associated with professional volleyball contracts and the difficulty of deciding how long to continue competing.
AJ’s career with the Raiders provided a comparatively stable professional base in the United States.
The couple has continued supporting each other while balancing their individual ambitions.
Kylie Cole’s Role in the Raiders Community
Kylie has also developed friendships with the wives and partners of other Raiders players.
During her appearance on the Sunday Sports Club podcast, she discussed how the team’s families form relationships through shared events and experiences.
She described participating in social gatherings, group activities and events organized for the partners of Raiders players.
Because AJ joined the franchise in 2019, Kylie has experienced several years of changes within the organization.
She has explained that friendships can become difficult to maintain when players are traded, released or sign with other teams.
Nevertheless, she has continued helping newer members of the community feel welcome.
In August 2026, Kylie participated in a Raiders training camp feature in which she went undercover as an intern named Kevin.
She worked alongside the team’s photography department before surprising her husband during practice.
The lighthearted activity highlighted the couple’s relationship and Kylie’s involvement with the organization.
Does AJ Cole Have Children?
AJ Cole and his wife, Kylie, have no publicly confirmed children.
Reliable reporting has not identified any sons or daughters belonging to the couple.
However, Kylie has publicly discussed the possibility of becoming a mother.
During her October 2024 appearance on the Sunday Sports Club podcast, she explained that starting a family was something she and AJ had considered.
She also discussed the challenges associated with deciding when to have children while continuing a professional volleyball career.
For female athletes, pregnancy and parenthood can require significant changes to training schedules, competition commitments and professional contracts.
Kylie expressed uncertainty about when she would retire from volleyball because she wanted to continue competing while opportunities remained available.
Her comments demonstrated that the couple had discussed parenthood, although they had not publicly announced a pregnancy or birth.
No subsequent announcement confirming that AJ and Kylie have welcomed a child has been reliably established in the sources reviewed.
AJ Cole’s Parents
AJ Cole was born to Alfred Cole and Kim Cole.
Both parents have supported his athletic development and professional football career.
His father, Alfred, became particularly well known among Raiders fans because of a longstanding pregame photography tradition with his son.
His mother, Kim, also attended important games and supported the family throughout AJ’s college and professional career.
AJ Cole’s Father: Alfred Cole
AJ Cole’s father is Alfred Cole, whose close relationship with his son has been documented by the Raiders and NC State University.
Alfred played an important role in supporting AJ during his football development at Woodward Academy in College Park, Georgia.
When AJ moved to North Carolina to attend NC State, his father continued traveling to games.
The family regularly arranged trips to football stadiums across the country to watch him compete.
In September 2019, the Raiders published a feature about a special pregame tradition between AJ and Alfred.
The story was subsequently republished by NC State University’s Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
The tradition involved father and son taking a selfie together before every football game.
What began as a simple photograph eventually became an important part of their relationship.
AJ Cole and His Father’s Pregame Selfie Tradition
The tradition began when AJ participated in a high school all-star football game following his senior season at Woodward Academy.
At the time, AJ had recently taught his father how to take selfies using a mobile phone.
Alfred suggested taking a photograph together before the game.
They enjoyed the experience and decided to repeat it before another game.
The activity gradually became a regular tradition.
During AJ’s college career at NC State, Alfred traveled to different football stadiums to continue taking the photographs.
Their collection eventually included games at Clemson, Boston College, Notre Dame and other universities.
Even difficult travel arrangements did not prevent Alfred from trying to maintain the tradition.
During one game at Notre Dame, he had seats located far from the field and struggled to convince stadium staff to allow him to approach the sideline.
To demonstrate that he was AJ’s father, Alfred showed staff members the photographs the two had taken at previous games.
The tradition continued throughout AJ’s four-year college football career.
In 2019, Alfred explained that the photographs helped his son relax before competition.
For AJ, the brief meeting with his father became part of his preparation before entering the field.
How Alfred Cole Supported His Son’s NFL Dream
AJ Cole initially faced uncertainty about whether he would become a professional football player.
After completing his college career, he considered accepting a conventional job rather than continuing to pursue the NFL.
In 2018, Cole had accepted an employment offer from IBM in technology procurement.
However, an invitation to participate in the East-West Shrine Game created an additional opportunity to demonstrate his punting ability.
His family supported his decision to pursue that opportunity.
After going undrafted in 2019, AJ received an invitation to attend the Oakland Raiders’ rookie minicamp.
He impressed the coaching staff and earned a contract.
Alfred and Kim subsequently arranged travel to attend his preseason games.
According to the Raiders’ family feature, the parents initially believed those games might represent their son’s only opportunity to play in the NFL.
They therefore made plans to attend every preseason game, including one held in Winnipeg, Canada.
AJ eventually secured the Raiders’ starting punter position, turning an uncertain opportunity into a long-term professional career.
For Alfred, watching his son establish himself in the NFL was the continuation of years spent supporting him at college football stadiums.
AJ Cole’s Mother: Kim Cole
AJ Cole’s mother is Kim Cole.
She is identified in the Raiders’ 2019 feature about the family’s pregame photography tradition, which also describes her traveling with Alfred to support their son.
Kim attended important games throughout AJ’s college career at NC State.
Her involvement was part of the family’s effort to remain closely connected despite the demands of college athletics and long-distance travel.
During the 2019 feature, Alfred recalled one occasion when he and Kim arrived shortly before kickoff at a college football game.
The tight schedule nearly prevented the traditional photograph with AJ.
Nevertheless, the family managed to continue the tradition.
Kim also supported AJ during his transition to the Raiders.
Although she has appeared in stories about her son’s career, reliable sports reporting provides limited information about her occupation, education and private personal background.
Consequently, those details remain unconfirmed.
AJ Cole’s Siblings
Public information about AJ Cole’s brothers and sisters is limited.
A secondary biographical article published by Yebscore in October 2023 identifies a sister named Susan.
However, the relationship has not been independently confirmed through NC State Athletics, the Las Vegas Raiders or other authoritative family interviews.
For that reason, the existence and identity of his siblings should be treated cautiously.
Susan Cole: AJ Cole’s Reported Sister
Susan Cole has been identified as AJ Cole’s sister in a published family profile.
The report names Alfred and Kim Cole as his parents and identifies Susan as another member of their family.
However, the publication does not provide independent documentation or detailed biographical information about Susan.
Reliable sources have not established her age, educational background, occupation or personal relationships.
Consequently, her reported relationship to AJ remains unverified through primary reporting.
Does AJ Cole Have a Brother?
No brother has been reliably identified in AJ Cole’s official NFL biography or the NC State family interviews reviewed.
Although this information remains limited, it would be inaccurate to invent the names or occupations of additional siblings without reliable evidence.
The most extensively documented members of his family are his wife, Kylie, and his parents, Alfred and Kim.
AJ Cole’s Early Life and Family Background
Alfred James Cole III was born on November 27, 1995, in Atlanta, Georgia.
He grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area and attended Woodward Academy in College Park.
During high school, Cole participated in several sports, including football, basketball and soccer.
His athletic ability helped him develop into one of Georgia’s leading high school specialists.
As a senior, he averaged approximately 40.1 yards per punt.
He also converted seven of nine field goal attempts and 33 of 38 extra-point attempts.
His performances earned All-Metro, All-Region and second-team All-State recognition.
Cole also played tight end and defensive end, demonstrating versatility beyond kicking and punting.
Recruiting services ranked him among the leading kicking prospects in the country.
He subsequently accepted an opportunity to play college football at NC State.
AJ Cole’s College Football Career at NC State
AJ Cole played college football at North Carolina State University from 2015 through 2018.
He became the team’s regular punter during his freshman season and remained in that role throughout his college career.
During the 2015 season, he recorded 66 punts for 2,750 yards.
He continued improving over the following seasons and established himself as one of the leading punters in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In 2017, he averaged 43.7 yards per punt and earned recognition for his performances on special teams.
He was also selected for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in recognition of his community service.
During his senior season in 2018, he was named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which recognizes college football players who combine athletic achievement with community involvement.
Across his college career, Cole recorded 220 punts for 9,288 yards and averaged 42.2 yards per punt.
He also completed an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering.
His academic achievements provided an alternative professional path before he eventually earned an NFL opportunity.
AJ Cole’s Community Work in Kenya
Community service became an important part of AJ Cole’s college experience.
While attending NC State, he regularly traveled to Nakuru, Kenya, during spring break.
He participated in activities supporting Mountain Park Academy, a school serving children in the region.
According to NC State Athletics, Cole made several visits to the school and developed lasting relationships with students and staff.
His involvement included supporting educational activities and helping improve opportunities for young people.
In 2018, ABC11 Raleigh-Durham published a feature about his continued visits to Kenya.
During the interview, Cole emphasized the personal relationships he had formed with students rather than describing the trips simply as charitable work.
His commitment to the school attracted recognition from college football organizations.
In 2017, he was selected for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
The following year, he was named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy.
These honors reflected his work away from football as well as his academic and athletic achievements.
AJ Cole’s NFL Career With the Las Vegas Raiders
AJ Cole entered the NFL in 2019 after completing his college football career at NC State.
Although he was not selected in the NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders invited him to participate in rookie minicamp.
He impressed the team’s coaching staff and signed as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2019.
Cole subsequently earned the starting punter position for his rookie season.
He appeared in all 16 games during the 2019 campaign and averaged 46 yards per punt.
When the Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, Cole remained with the franchise.
He continued developing into one of the NFL’s leading specialists.
During the 2021 season, he averaged 50 yards per punt and earned first-team All-Pro recognition.
He also received his first Pro Bowl selection.
Cole continued his success during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections.
In 2023, he received another first-team All-Pro selection after leading the league in net punting average.
His performances established him among the most accomplished specialists in Raiders history.
AJ Cole’s Contract Extension With the Raiders
In May 2025, AJ Cole signed a four-year contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The agreement, reportedly worth approximately $15.8 million, made him the NFL’s highest-paid punter at the time.
The contract reflected his consistency and importance to the franchise’s special teams.
During an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Cole discussed the agreement and his personal life with Kylie.
He jokingly explained that the timing was convenient because the couple had recently spent more money than expected on landscaping their home.
The lighthearted comment offered a glimpse into their life away from football.
Under the extension, Cole remained under contract with Las Vegas through the 2029 season.
He continued serving as the team’s punter during the 2026 season, wearing jersey number 6.
AJ Cole and Kylie’s Life Away From Sports
Outside their athletic careers, AJ and Kylie enjoy spending time together and participating in everyday activities.
They have discussed their pets, home life and shared interests in interviews and Raiders media appearances.
In September 2026, the Raiders published a video featuring the couple discussing football, superstitions and their dogs.
The conversation offered fans a glimpse into their relationship beyond professional sports.
The couple has also maintained a strong connection to their fellow athletes and the Raiders community.
Kylie has participated in events involving other players’ wives and partners, while AJ has remained one of the franchise’s longest-serving players.
Their experiences demonstrate how they balance marriage, professional competition and everyday responsibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions About AJ Cole’s Family
Who is AJ Cole’s wife?
AJ Cole’s wife is Kylie Pickrell Cole, a professional volleyball player who previously competed at Arizona State and NC State.
Is AJ Cole married?
Yes. AJ Cole married Kylie Pickrell in March 2023 after dating for approximately six years.
How did AJ Cole meet his wife?
AJ Cole and Kylie Pickrell met while attending North Carolina State University, where he played football and she played volleyball.
When did AJ Cole get married?
AJ Cole and Kylie Pickrell married in March 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Does AJ Cole have children?
AJ Cole and Kylie have no publicly confirmed children. Kylie has discussed the possibility of parenthood, but no verified birth announcement has been established.
Who are AJ Cole’s parents?
His parents are Alfred Cole and Kim Cole. Both supported his college football career and attended important games.
Who is AJ Cole’s father?
His father is Alfred Cole, who became known for taking a selfie with AJ before every football game during his high school and college career.
Who is AJ Cole’s mother?
His mother is Kim Cole. She traveled with Alfred to watch AJ compete during his college and early NFL career.
Does AJ Cole have a sister?
A secondary biographical article identifies a sister named Susan Cole, although her relationship to AJ has not been independently confirmed through official athletics records.
Does AJ Cole have a brother?
No brother has been reliably identified in his official NFL biography or available family interviews.
What does AJ Cole’s wife do?
Kylie Cole is a professional volleyball player who has competed in France and the United States, including with the Atlanta Vibe and San Diego Mojo.
Did Kylie Cole play college volleyball?
Yes. Kylie played for Arizona State before transferring to NC State, where she earned All-American and All-ACC recognition.
Where is AJ Cole’s family from?
AJ Cole grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area and attended Woodward Academy in College Park, Georgia.
What college did AJ Cole attend?
AJ Cole attended North Carolina State University, where he played football from 2015 through 2018 and earned a degree in industrial engineering.
Was AJ Cole drafted into the NFL?
No. Cole entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after impressing the Raiders during rookie minicamp.
What NFL team does AJ Cole play for?
AJ Cole plays for the Las Vegas Raiders, the organization he joined in 2019 when the franchise was based in Oakland.
Mariah Miranda is a dedicated sports journalist specializing in comprehensive NFL coverage, playbook strategy, and team analytics. From offseason Draft planning and free-agency moves to weekly matchup breakdowns and playoff pushes, she delivers clear, data-driven analysis of every division in the league. Driven by a deep understanding of football tactics and locker-room dynamics, Mariah brings fans closer to the gridiron with sharp commentary and player updates.
