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But a football scholarship from the University of New Mexico pegged him as a talented linebacker, and the Steelers drafted him in 1977. Cole spent the next decade making his mark in Pittsburgh as an NFL All-Pro linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion.

Now he has time to be a baker.

Cole, 49, of Eighty-Four in Washington County, has launched a business with his brother Erick, 42, called Unforgettable Sweets. Erick, Cole says, has a secret cheesecake recipe that he perfected during Cole's years as an athlete.

"It's creamy, and it tastes phenomenal," Cole said. "I realized he has a gift that needs to be shared."

Since retiring from the Steelers, Cole has become a motivational speaker and businessman who designs fitness centers for schools. He went home to the Los Angeles area last summer for his mother's birthday, and sampled his brother's cheesecakes. He tried three flavors -- strawberry, sweet potato and peanut butter-pecan.

"I said, 'Can you make these cheesecakes taste like this all the time?' He said, 'Yeah.' And I said, 'We're going into business,' " Cole said.

Cole reached agreement Wednesday with Jenny Lee Bakery in McKees Rocks for commercial production. Erick Cole will move to Pittsburgh to oversee the baking as master chef.

Cole said his start-up costs could be $250,000 when the business gets under way.

The deal is an opportunity both for the Cole brothers and for Jenny Lee, said Scott Baker, vice president of the bakery. Baker began talking with Robin Cole in August, giving advice about getting started in the business.

"At first I was just providing a little bit of helpful information," Baker said. "But then after talking to him, I realized we might get a contract out of it. A lot of our business has developed into contract business as our retail business declined over the years."

The bakery will study Erick Cole's recipes and technique to produce a consistent product, Baker said.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's a very good product," Baker said.

Unforgettable Sweets initially will market its cheesecakes to restaurants, resorts and wholesale food companies, Cole said. Later, the brothers might open one retail establishment. They've also talked about buying land to build their own bakery.

"It's a high-end cheesecake," said Cole, who intends to price them at $35 to $40 apiece. The recipe can be changed for at least 15 flavors.

Cole already is testing his product with friends, including former Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood, now a businessman who lives in Homewood. When they played football, Cole and Greenwood were roommates on the road. Cole remembers Greenwood ordering cheesecake at every restaurant.

Greenwood, who played 13 seasons with the team that won four Super Bowls, acknowledges he is a "cheesecake connoisseur." Cole's is the best he has tasted, he said.

"This is some good stuff," said Greenwood, who has tried the lemon, chocolate and the sweet potato cheesecakes. "I think Robin has found something here. At least I'm hoping he has. I'd like to be able to get them again."

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