Sandeep Nandy pointed out that an article in the Boston Globe on May 3 indicated that Dan Cole was invited to the New England Patriots Mini Camp for a tryout. Cole was the senior quarterback for RPI's UCAA championship football team, which advanced to the NCAA Division III Semifinals before losing to eventual national champion St. John's of Minnesota.

According to the article, Cole was invited to camp along with four other rookie free agents: Harvard linebacker Dante Balestracci, Bentley College safety Ryan Ferguson, Hofstra wide receiver Ricky Bryant, and Michigan tight end Andy Mignery. Bryant and Mignery were reportedly signed by the Patriots.

Dan Cole is the first Rensselaer football player ever to be invited to a mini camp by a National Football League team.