AP File Religion is important to LSU senior Harry Coleman, as he drives two hours to Baldwin every weekend to Special Providence Baptist Church’s Sunday service. Coleman serves as LSU’s spiritual leader BATON ROUGE — Just before LSU’s season opener against Washington, LSU strong safety Harry Coleman was hit with tragedy. “My uncle died four days before the Washington game,” Coleman said. “It was all faith for me to go out there and play the game.” Coleman’s uncle, Gerry Thomas, died on Sept. 1. Thomas was Coleman’s youth baseball coach and one of his biggest fans. Coleman said they would talk on a weekly basis, mostly about football. “He was the type of uncle who would critique your game,” Coleman said. “He wouldn’t tell me what I did right in the game, he would tell me what I did wrong and what I needed to do better.” Despite his personal grief, Coleman, 23, played the entire game in Seattle, making seven tackles and ending up the team’s second leading tackler. “It was devastating to me, but I just put my faith in God and knew I was in the right place,” he said. Coleman’s faith has been a big part of his life, a spirituality instilled in him by his mother, while growing up in Baldwin, a small community in St. Mary Parish. He can often be seen wearing a cross around his neck after games. Every weekend, Coleman drives two hours to Baldwin to Special Providence Baptist Church’s Sunday service. “I’ve been in the church since I was a kid. Growing up, my mom stressed if I wanted to play football on Fridays, I had to go to church on Sunday,” Coleman said. Margaret Coleman’s strong spirituality led to Coleman becoming a deacon. His responsibilities include escorting the elderly, making change for the collection plate and distributing communion. Margaret Coleman said that the first time her son handed out communion he held the communion plate like it was a football. “After (services), I told him ‘On Saturdays I root for you loud, but when I was watching you serve God I was rooting for you even louder.’ His faith is strong and he realizes his talent is from God, everything he has comes from the Lord,” she said. Traveling to Baldwin every Sunday also gives Coleman an opportunity to visit his two sons, Corren and Corday, who live with their mother. Coleman refers to his two sons as his pride and joy. “My two sons keep me sane, keep me grounded, they are the reason I have a smile on my face every morning,” Coleman said. “I get up every morning to play ball for me, but I also do it for them.” In the beginning of spring practice, newly hired defensive coordinator John Chavis approached Coleman, the team’s leading tackler, about a possible position change from strong safety to linebacker. In just his second game at his new position against Vanderbilt, Coleman led the Tigers in tackles. “It just gives you chills down the back of your neck because here’s a young man (Coleman) that selfish is not a word in him at all,” Chavis said. “He’s ready to do whatever he needs to do to help this football team and I think it’s going to be a great move for him, too. It gave us some depth at linebacker when we made that move, gave us a guy that can play every single down no matter what the situation.” “Linebacker is more contact, I got in the middle of a few plays. It is contact all around. That’s my type of gam. I had fun,” Coleman said. “I’ve played linebacker since I was 6-years old, I’m really a linebacker at heart.” Since he was a child, Coleman idolized the play of Baltimore Ravens all-pro linebacker Ray Lewis. Senior linebacker Perry Riley says Coleman, similar to Lewis, is a natural at the linebacker position. “He did great. We all knew he would do great. Strong safety is kind of like linebacker, and he was as good as we expected him to be,” Riley said. LINK: Coleman serves as LSU’s spiritual leader | HoumaToday.com | The Courier | Houma, LA
Another reason to pull for Harry :thumb: Hopefully he can parlay the move from safety to linebacker into a long NFL career like Eric Alexander.
Coleman honored as SEC Defensive Player of the Week: LSU linebacker Harry Coleman was named SEC defensive player of the week for his efforts in LSU's 31-10 victory against Auburn. Coleman recorded nine tackles, including two sacks, and forced two fumbles. Both fumbles came on the sacks and one set up an LSU touchdown. Coleman helped LSU hold Auburn to 193 yards, 42 in the first half. LSU football's Harry Coleman named SEC defensive player of the week | LSU Tigers Central - - NOLA.com
LSU outside linebacker Harry Coleman is having the type of season his teammates expected, even though he is at a new position. Coleman, a senior who moved from safety to linebacker late last spring as a fifth-year senior, is tied for second on the team with 47 tackles and is tied for second with two quarterback sacks. ... “It’s not a surprise at all what Harry’s done,” middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said. “I knew from the get go it might be one of the best moves the team has made when they put him at linebacker.” First-year defensive coordinator John Chavis was the one who moved Coleman. Chavis, who coaches linebackers, often converted defensive backs into linebackers successfully in his previous coordinator job at Tennessee. “Harry Coleman is truly having a great senior campaign,” LSU coach Les Miles said. LSU's Coleman having no trouble at new position | thenewsstar.com | The News Star
LaSalleAve's Harry Coleman named MVP thread reminded me of the prophetic article cited in the OP, written by Erik Vollenweider, LSU student correspondent to the Houma newspaper. Good job, Erik! And great job Harry Coleman, TEAM MVP!!!! From LSUSports:
Harry Coleman #24 of the Louisiana State University Tigers forces a fumble out of the hands of Michael Moore #82 of the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 3, 2009 in Athens, Georgia.
