After growing up in St. Louis, Kevin Coleman has made a few stops throughout his college career.
He first went to Jackson State to join Deion Sanders, Sheduer Sanders and Travis Hunter, but he didn’t follow the trio to Colorado, instead heading to Louisville for his sophomore season.
After a year with the Cardinals, he travelled south again and became one of the most productive receivers in the SEC with a season at Mississippi State.
But now, he’s come back to his home state and the Missouri Tigers for his final year of college ball.
“It really came from Jamal Roberts,” Coleman said. “I remember the week of the (Missouri vs. Mississippi State) game, we were going against them, (Roberts) was hitting me up, just talking smack. And then he was talking about, like, you know, what about you coming home?”
And that connection with his former high school teammate at St. Mary’s in St. Louis convinced Coleman it was time to return to his home state.
“I just felt the love and just felt everything, seeing my guys I grew up with, guys I played against in high school, I just felt the love,” Coleman said.
And with coming home, joining the team at a time it’s looking for a new face at the position, coach Eliah Drinkwitz had an easy sell for Coleman.
“Come be the hometown hero,” Coleman said. “It’s a great place to be.”
But it wasn’t just the conversations that led Coleman to want to be a Tiger. When the Tigers and Bulldogs matched up last year, he kept an eye on how the Missouri offense operated.
And through watching it, he saw an opportunity for him to thrive.
“They get the ball to their guys, their playmakers,” Coleman said. “They make explosive plays. I’ve always watched Mizzou football since I was a kid, up till and even when I was in college. So I’ve always seen they get the ball to their playmakers. They’ve always been an exciting offense, especially with an exciting coach.”
Coleman has become the elder statesman in the Tiger receiver room, though he’s new to the program. He said he is mixing learning from the guys who have been with the team for a couple of years, while also dispensing wisdom from his time spent in college football and across different programs.
“I know most guys look at what I did last year, but I feel like I didn’t do enough,” Coleman said. “So I know, I come in every day with a humble mindset, always willing to learn from anyone, young guys to older guys. I came in not saying too much, just working to earn the guys’ trust. You know, respect is going to come … but I had to earn the guys’ trust.”
And the way he’s going about earning that trust is through hard work and dedication. Coleman was second in the SEC last year in catches and third in yards, but he’s not resting on what he did last year for a different team as he tries to become the main guy in a new room.
“Most guys see me coming back as one of the top leading receivers in the SEC,” Coleman said. “I don’t look at that. That’s last year, I did that last year. This is a new year, so I just came in with my head down, working. … I’m trying to earn the guys’ trust to play with a good football team and make them believe in me when it’s third down, fourth down, last play. To do that, I’ve got to work hard.”
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