Remembering Monte Coleman as a great player, man and Washington legend
TL;DR
Monte Coleman, a former Washington Redskin and NFL player, has died at 68. He was known for his contributions to the team both on and off the field.
Key points
- Monte Coleman has died at the age of 68.
- He was a former player for the Washington Redskins.
- Coleman was the first player from Central Arkansas to be drafted into the NFL.
- He started his NFL career as a walk-on and played special teams.
- No cause of death has been released.
Mentioned in this story
A "great" former Washington Redskin has died.
I don't use the word "great" very often, for the simple fact that so many use it entirely too often. Words have meaning, and so "great" should only be used when describing people or things that are excellent, awesome and amazing. Coleman's contributions to the Redskins were indeed super, both on and off the field. Coleman died this weekend; he was only 68. No cause of his death has been released up to this time.
Having said all of that, Monte Coleman was a "great" Washington Redskin. Coleman didn't play football growing up and was a walk-on at Central Arkansas, first as a corner. A tremendously hard worker, Coleman became the first player in Central Arkansas University history to be drafted into the NFL.
Remembering his first NFL experience, Coleman said he recalled "getting to wear the Washington Redskins uniform in my first preseason game. Just the idea of this small country boy having the opportunity to play professional football. That will always stick out with me. Didn't do anything spectacular, all I did was play special teams, but that will always be a special moment in my mind."
That right there is so Monte Coleman. Special teams were how he made the Redskins' roster in his rookie season. He wasn't chosen until the 11th round, 289th overall. He understood that, in those 1979 preseason games, he would need to excel on special teams to be noticed. Making the 1979 team, he was no instant-star linebacker story, as Coleman did not start a single game in his rookie season, but he did play all 16 games on special teams.
Who would have believed 1979 would be the first of 16 consecutive NFL seasons? And that was as a linebacker! He would play 215 NFL games for Washington, second only to Darrell Green. Coleman grew in size and strength, using his speed on special teams his entire career. He excelled on punt and kickoff coverage teams. In the 1982 NFC Championship game, Washington led Dallas 7-3, when Punter Jeff Hayes sent his punt to Dallas' Rod Hill. Hill muffed the punt as Monte Coleman streaked downfield and was there when the punt arrived at Hill. Coleman then recovered the punt, setting up Washington at the Dallas 11 for the touchdown that extended the Redskins' lead to 14-3. That was Monte Coleman contributing the way he did to that championship team.
There was also defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon, recognizing how he could utilize Coleman's assets to improve Washington's defense. Coleman was brought into the game on third-down passing situations to cover tight ends and running backs. All Coleman did was respond with 17 interceptions, returning three for touchdowns. Would you believe his three interceptions for touchdowns came against NFC East rivals? There was one each against the Giants (Phil Simms), the Eagles (Ron Jaworski) and the Cowboys (Danny White). That was so Monte Coleman.
When he wasn't providing great pass coverage, Petitbon sent Coleman on blitzes, blitzes as I recall from everywhere. He would line up outside defensive ends, over and between defensive tackles. He would come on blitzes right away; he could come on delayed blitzes. Coleman produced immensely with 49.5 quarterback sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and 14 fumble recoveries. Can you imagine how many quarterback hits he produced if it had been an official statistic in those days?
Following his playing days, Coleman turned to coaching. His coaching career mirrored his playing career. He was a linebackers coach for three seasons, a defensive coordinator for two seasons, and the head coach for 10 seasons, all at Arkansas Pine Bluff. Sixteen seasons playing for one team, 15 seasons coaching at one school, married to one woman for over 30 years. Each one, so Monte Coleman.
There is one more aspect of Coleman that many may not be aware of. Coleman was a leader on those Redskins teams, not only as a warrior on the field, but also as an ambassador on and off the field. He was a spiritual leader, participating in and leading Bible studies for the Redskins. Coleman attributed a night in 1976, when he was invited to a gathering of Christians on the campus of Central Arkansas, as the day he began trusting in Jesus Christ as His Savior.
"I truly believe it was His purpose, his plan for me to play those 16 years. He surrounded me, gave me great brothers in Christ around myself, that were going to be accountability brothers. Brothers that understood what it means to walk the walk, if you are going to talk it. They were brothers who didn't have a problem with meeting to study the Word of God, regardless of who was watching. As the Bible says, iron sharpens iron. We took that literally and tried to sharpen each other." Monte Coleman
Monte Coleman was a man's man who ultimately followed the only man who can be fully trusted to be followed entirely.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Remembering the great Monte Coleman
Q&A
What were Monte Coleman's contributions to the Washington Redskins?
Monte Coleman made significant contributions to the Redskins, excelling both on the field as a player and off the field as a respected figure.
What was Monte Coleman's NFL career like?
Monte Coleman started as a walk-on at Central Arkansas and became the first player from the university to be drafted into the NFL, playing primarily on special teams.
How did Monte Coleman feel about his first NFL game?
Coleman cherished the memory of wearing the Redskins uniform in his first preseason game, highlighting it as a special moment in his life.
What is known about the cause of Monte Coleman's death?
As of now, no cause of death has been released for Monte Coleman, who passed away this weekend at the age of 68.
