Coleman A Special Piece Of State’s Receiving Corps
August 05, 2024 | Football, Joel Coleman
Bulldog pass catcher is different, in all the right ways.
STARKVILLE – There's just something different about Kevin Coleman.
Sure, the Mississippi State receiver is a highly-skilled athlete with great hands and blazing speed, but there's more to it than that. There's a focus. There's a maturity.
Look no further than Monday morning following another day of MSU preseason football practice to get a glimpse of how Coleman isn't your average college pass catcher. After a couple of hours honing his skills in the heat, Coleman followed it up by standing behind a podium and fielding a wide range of questions from reporters.
Then when all was said and done – in a scene you just don't see much in college athletics – the young man walked up to every media member, looked them in the eye and shook their hand.
Yes, Kevin Coleman is different, in all the right ways. He's a pro. And that's one of the main reasons he transferred to State earlier this year to begin with.
First-year head coach Jeff Lebby certainly loved what Coleman could bring on the field, without a doubt. But who Coleman was off it was just as important.
"I saw a guy that had the ability to have great production inside our offense," Lebby said. "When I called around and asked about him, they said all the right things from mentality to toughness to who he was as a human. He's been that. That's a guy I'm excited about."
There certainly is much reason to eagerly anticipate what Coleman can do in Maroon and White. The reasons are many.
He's incredibly driven.
"I have a lot of fire in me," Coleman said. "From the first day of the season to the last, I want to go out and show the world who I am."
Coleman's tremendous desire has already reaped dividends at his other college football stops. At Jackson State back in 2022, Coleman caught 32 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns on the way to becoming the SWAC Freshman of the Year.
He rode that success to Louisville where last season he made 11 starts and totaled 362 yards and two scores on 26 catches. Oh, he also ran the rock 26 times for 117 yards.
You see, that's another piece of what makes Coleman such a gem. He's the ultimate team guy. Sign him up to do whatever needs to be done to capture a victory.
Pass catching? Running? Special teams? Doesn't matter to Coleman.
"The more you can do, the more you can help your team win," Coleman said. "That's how I think about it. Each and every day, I try to get better in blocking. That's important, too, for a receiver. You have to block for the running back so he can score. The next day, I'm out working on my routes. Each and every day, I'm just trying to work on something new."
Driven. Unselfish. Always working. Again, Coleman is just special. And maybe the best part of all of it all is how there is no ego. He doesn't view his spot or his role as any bigger than anyone else's.
Yes, Coleman is confident in himself, but he wants those around him to be as well. That's showing up inside State's receiver room as many have adopted the same mentality as Coleman.
It sounds cliché, but for State's receivers, it's not about the 'me'. It's about the 'we'.
"Each and every day from the older guys to the younger guys, the goal is to make everyone around you better," Coleman said. "Make sure everyone is ready to be on the field.
"One play, I might get tired. A young guy or whoever might go in and play. Let's don't let it be a play where Coach might be thinking, 'Hey, we have to run the ball [since a receiver is tired].' Nah. The same play I can do, that young guy can do."
In a talented receiving unit where there is also a ton of internal competition, togetherness is vital. Coleman, along with other Bulldog leaders, are making sure everyone remains united.
"We call ourselves The Concrete Boys," Coleman shared. "Concrete is hard, and it sticks together. That's what we do. Each and every day we're trying to come out here and be one."
It's said that iron sharpens iron. Similarly – hopefully – the more concrete State's receivers are, the better the group can be and the tougher the Bulldogs will be to beat.
Right at the center of State's mix stands Coleman. He's still awaiting that first official game with the Dawgs, but there is no denying how big of a part of things he already is as he leads the way as a player and as a person.
