Cole Mondi was about to go to bed, having just posted a video to his recently-made ColeinKansas Instagram account that he started for a class at Kansas. It had some likes, and a few thousand views. A moderate success, considering the size and purpose of his account.
Overnight, it blew up.
“When I woke up, it’s at a million views and a hundred thousand likes, and it’s getting shared everywhere,” Mondi said. “I was looking at the analytics of it the other day, and it has over four years of watch time. That was unfathomable — I couldn’t even process that.”
Mondi was in a content creation in sports class with professor Sayvon Foster this past spring, in which he learned how to use social media and his platform to share the perspective of a student-athlete. The account grew exponentially, and it quickly became something he wanted to continue doing after the class ended.
What makes the account special is Mondi’s newborn son, Major. Most of Mondi’s videos are about his daily life, going from the practice fields to spending time at home with his girlfriend, Katelyn, and their son. Between football, graduating and his child, Mondi has had a busy year, and the social media account is a way to recollect and capture every memory.
“Being able to show a little glimpse of football, being a student-athlete and being a dad is special,” Mondi said. “(Major) has been the light of my life. I talk about him every day. I take a couple videos of what’s going on day to day here and what’s going on day to day at the house. He’s unlocking new things every day — it’s like a video game.”
Most of Mondi’s videos are of his daily life, but others include questions he asks his teammates in the locker room and other videos, such as celebrating his former Lawrence and KU teammate Devin Neal getting drafted in the NFL.
Thanks to sharing his journey of fatherhood and football, the account, which recently passed 30,000 followers, has opened up opportunities for brand deals and partnerships. It’s something the local linebacker has been able to take advantage of since he started his college career at KU, including a name, image and likeness deal that he signed with local 23rd Street Brewery his first year on the team. The account brings a broader support base that goes beyond Lawrence, and can ink more deals with bigger companies.
“It’s crazy how videos, once they catch on and they start going viral, spread,” Mondi said. “Then you get the bounceback of all the benefits, like, ‘Hey, you used my brand in this video, would you be willing to collaborate and do all these other things?’
“It is honestly something I never thought I could attain. I had a great professor, a great family and a great football program where I can leverage these different aspects and share with the world what my life looks like.”
Although Mondi appreciates all that the football program has given him, it wasn’t an easy decision to come back for a fifth season. More time with the team meant less time at home with his family, but he decided to continue playing, leaving nothing behind in his football career.
“I believe I’m representing my family and my little boy when I’m doing this, so I want to do it to the best of my abilities,” Mondi said. “I think (fatherhood) has developed me farther than anything else could.”
The month of April provided his first chance to play in front of Major when the Jayhawks hosted a fan appreciation day, which was an emotional experience for Mondi. Soon, his son will get to watch his dad break in the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Mondi said fatherhood raised the stakes on everything in life, including his football career, and getting to highlight that through social media is a special opportunity he never would’ve thought possible.
