SE: K-State Offensive Coordinator Andre Coleman Uses ‘Cheat Sheet’ of Life Experiences to Help Players Succeed
Aug 14, 2018 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
If a teacher allows students to bring in notes for an exam, there should be no reason to fail. That's how Andre Coleman views his role as K-State's offensive coordinator.
In this metaphor, Coleman doesn't see himself as the teacher, necessarily, or even the exam, but instead as the notes. He said he utilizes his experiences, on the football field and in life, as a "cheat sheet" of sorts to help his players.
"Because of my experience and having gone through a lot of the things these young guys are going through, I'm able to give them a cheat sheet on how to be successful at the college and, if you're fortunate enough, even at the pro level," Coleman, K-State's first-year offensive coordinator who played for the Wildcats from 1990-93, said, "and, more importantly, on how to deal with life and the trials and tribulations that life's going to bring you."
His success and passion for the game of football were two reasons why Eric Wolford, who played at K-State from 1990-93, called his former teammate with a job offer when he was named head coach at Youngstown State in 2010.
"Young people today, they Google your name before you even have your first meeting with them," said Wolford, who convinced Coleman to give coaching a try. "Within 24 hours I guarantee they're Googling your name."
Wolford's not exaggerating, either. Deante Burton, who was a freshman at K-State when Coleman was hired as its receivers coach in 2013, said the group researched their coach soon after their first encounter with him.
"We had to," Burton, now with the Atlanta Falcons, laughed. "We had to make sure he wasn't blowing smoke."
If Google didn't do the trick, Coleman could always bring his players to the basement of his home. It's like a museum of his football accomplishments.
In one corner are three shelves filled with meaningful items.
The top shelf holds a picture of Coleman scoring the game-winning touchdown against Kansas in 1991. Since that win, K-State is 21-2 against its in-state rival under Snyder.
"This right here sparked the turnaround," Coleman said of the photo.
On the bottom shelf stands a few trinkets from the 1993 Copper Bowl win over Wyoming. In K-State's first bowl appearance under Snyder, Coleman was named the game's MVP after reeling in eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. He also notched a 68-yard punt return score in his final K-State outing, which he has a picture of next to his MVP plaque.
The middle shelf possesses a Seattle Seahawks helmet, sent from Tyler Lockett after he was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. On another wall is a framed Lockett Seahawks jersey, with his 2015 Pro Bowl and All Pro honors engraved below it.
Framed jerseys hang on every other wall as well.
One is a black-and-red, number 22 jersey from Hickory High School in Pennsylvania, where Coleman was named the State Player of the Year in 1990 en route to leading his team to the school's first and, to this day, only state championship.
Right next to it is Coleman's number two K-State jersey with a pair of the All-American's NFL rookie cards positioned on each side of it.
Another foot to the right is Coleman's number 83 San Diego Chargers jersey. The Chargers drafted Coleman in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft, helping start K-State's current 25-year streak of having at least one player drafted.
Across the room hangs Coleman's jersey from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played the most of the last two seasons of his five-year NFL career (1994-98).
On a different wall is another Chargers jersey. This one came from Super Bowl XXIX. In it, Coleman became the first Wildcat to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl when he took a kickoff 98 yards to the house. The actual ball from the kick return is displayed below the jersey.
"Get to the sideline and trust your speed," Coleman recalled thinking during the then-record setting play. "That's what I told Tyler Lockett. That's what I told Byron Pringle. That's what I told D.J. Reed. I can speak to that because I've been in that exact situation."
"That's what I try to tell guys today. The road you're going down, I've been down this road, and I'm telling you this is what you need to do. That's probably the biggest advantage I have when I talk to young guys," Coleman added. "Those are things I know because I've lived it, so I can help you not make mistakes that I made in the past and that's going to allow you to be successful for you and your family in securing your future. That's what it's about, trying to help these young guys and change generations."
The last sentence encompasses Coleman's biggest drive in coaching. Sure, he wants to help his players improve on the field. More important, however, is he wants to prepare them for life. In his mind, this is why he said yes to Wolford in 2010.
"I felt like it was my calling. I've always wanted to do something where I made a difference," he said. "Coaching was that outlet, was that platform to make a difference in young guys' lives."
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 19, 1972, Coleman grew up in project housing. His grandmother's home, he said, housed upwards of 15 family members at a time. His biological father wasn't originally part of his life. His mother had nine sisters and one brother, so the male influences in his early life were few and far between.
He was moved out of that environment when his mother married a man in the military. They moved to Pennsylvania, spent some time in Germany and eventually moved back to Pennsylvania. At one point, Coleman was taken in by a different family that helped raise him.
"Kind of like The Blind Side. The same story, only we didn't win the Super Bowl," Coleman said, laughing. "But it's the exact same story. A family that was very influential in my life, a white family, so it was different for me and helped me understand that it's not a black or a white thing. It's good people and there's bad people, and I try to explain that to young guys today. That's a real life experience that I had."
Because of his unique upbringing, Coleman said "you see yourself, years ago," when he looks at a lot of his young players or recruits now.
"Having been through it," he said, "I have firsthand knowledge on how to kind of steer those guys the right way."
In one specific area, education, Coleman makes sure his players do not go the direction he did. He left K-State without his degree in 1993. He did return to finish it in social sciences in 2011, fulfilling a promise to his mother, who died of cancer, to become the first member of his family to graduate from college. Still, it's not the path he would recommend for any of his players.
"I was fortunate enough to play in the NFL and I got kind of a kick-start on life, but everybody doesn't get that opportunity. I try to equate that real life experience with them now," he said. "If it's important to you, you'll get it done. If it's important to you, you won't be late turning that assignment in. If it's important to you, you'll make sure you're at class. If you do those things, then you'll maximize your time here at K-State and you won't have to be like me and go back to school years later to get it done.
"That's a lesson that I try to teach them, a mistake that I made that I don't want them to make."
An intense and meticulous teacher, Coleman's lessons and his style of implementing them can take some getting used to, however.
For instance, in his first few months on staff at K-State, Coleman handed his receivers copies of the same DVD. It was filled with "the most basic drills ever," former Wildcat Curry Sexton said, laughing. "I remember a few us sat down to watch that DVD and we all were, like, 'Is this real?'"
When spring camp rolled around, the Wildcat receivers found out Coleman was indeed serious about those drills.
"That is exactly the kind of stuff that we worked on. It was a heavy emphasis on technique and explosiveness and getting in and out of breaks and stuff," Sexton said. "At first we thought the drills were kind of a joke but through time those drills played a huge part in helping all of us become much better receivers."
Coleman also implemented a new rule for his receivers. Every drop in practice, whether in warm-ups or a live scrimmage, equaled 10 up-downs afterward. A bad three-hour practice could become even longer.
"There would be guys that would have 60, 70, 80 up-downs. That was brutal, but it obviously had a huge effect," Sexton said. "You really learned to focus on every catch because, over the course of a long practice and a long game, it's easy to lose focus and make a routine catch into a drop. He really emphasized the importance of not putting balls on the ground. I remember thinking, 'This guy's nuts.' But, over time, it had a huge impact on our receiving group."
More than anything, Coleman said he tries to be "truth teller" for his players. They may hate what he says. They may love it. But he wants them to know that when he says something to them, it's the truth.
"I never rain on anybody's dream or aspirations but I try to be honest with them," he said. "I'm going to tell you like it is, but I'm telling you because I'm doing it out of love."
Sometimes players recognize this love while in the program. Other times, they don't see until after they leave. Burton belongs in the latter group.
Burton said the two "butted heads" often while he was at K-State. But when the Manhattan native graduated and started preparing for a run at the NFL, Coleman was at his side every step of the way.
"That whole offseason period he helped me out when it came to picking agents and the things I needed to do, what I needed to work on when I got to (training) camp, the things he's seen in the NFL. In the long run I would say that it's helped me so much because we built that relationship through those years of ups and downs," Burton, who also leaned on Coleman for advice when the Falcons asked him to switch to a defensive back, said. "Now, as I've matured, I kind of see the truth teller and all the things that he wanted to implement and help me with on and off the field to be a better person that will help me in any career."
"He had a huge impact on me and my trajectory in not only football but in life," added Sexton, currently finishing up his law degree at Washburn. "Just to see his aggressiveness and his demeanor, the way he attacks everything is something that will stick with me for a long time."
For Coleman, these are just two examples of his notes in life and football are paying off for his players. Byron Pringle is another. The former Wildcat, currently with the Kansas City Chiefs, became the first in his family to graduate from college last December.
"I was happy to play a small part in that being a first for Byron," Coleman said. "I know he will pay it forward and he'll make a difference in somebody else's life down the line. And that started right here at K-State. That's pretty cool."
Those moments and these examples, a few of many, are why Coleman looks at his offensive coordinator as more than a job.
"They say when you're doing something that you love, it's not work," he said, "and I really don't feel like it's work because I really found my calling."
If a teacher allows students to bring in notes for an exam, there should be no reason to fail. That's how Andre Coleman views his role as K-State's offensive coordinator.
In this metaphor, Coleman doesn't see himself as the teacher, necessarily, or even the exam, but instead as the notes. He said he utilizes his experiences, on the football field and in life, as a "cheat sheet" of sorts to help his players.
"Because of my experience and having gone through a lot of the things these young guys are going through, I'm able to give them a cheat sheet on how to be successful at the college and, if you're fortunate enough, even at the pro level," Coleman, K-State's first-year offensive coordinator who played for the Wildcats from 1990-93, said, "and, more importantly, on how to deal with life and the trials and tribulations that life's going to bring you."
His success and passion for the game of football were two reasons why Eric Wolford, who played at K-State from 1990-93, called his former teammate with a job offer when he was named head coach at Youngstown State in 2010.
"Young people today, they Google your name before you even have your first meeting with them," said Wolford, who convinced Coleman to give coaching a try. "Within 24 hours I guarantee they're Googling your name."
Wolford's not exaggerating, either. Deante Burton, who was a freshman at K-State when Coleman was hired as its receivers coach in 2013, said the group researched their coach soon after their first encounter with him.
"We had to," Burton, now with the Atlanta Falcons, laughed. "We had to make sure he wasn't blowing smoke."
If Google didn't do the trick, Coleman could always bring his players to the basement of his home. It's like a museum of his football accomplishments.
In one corner are three shelves filled with meaningful items.
The top shelf holds a picture of Coleman scoring the game-winning touchdown against Kansas in 1991. Since that win, K-State is 21-2 against its in-state rival under Snyder.
"This right here sparked the turnaround," Coleman said of the photo.
On the bottom shelf stands a few trinkets from the 1993 Copper Bowl win over Wyoming. In K-State's first bowl appearance under Snyder, Coleman was named the game's MVP after reeling in eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. He also notched a 68-yard punt return score in his final K-State outing, which he has a picture of next to his MVP plaque.
The middle shelf possesses a Seattle Seahawks helmet, sent from Tyler Lockett after he was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. On another wall is a framed Lockett Seahawks jersey, with his 2015 Pro Bowl and All Pro honors engraved below it.
Framed jerseys hang on every other wall as well.
One is a black-and-red, number 22 jersey from Hickory High School in Pennsylvania, where Coleman was named the State Player of the Year in 1990 en route to leading his team to the school's first and, to this day, only state championship.
Right next to it is Coleman's number two K-State jersey with a pair of the All-American's NFL rookie cards positioned on each side of it.
Another foot to the right is Coleman's number 83 San Diego Chargers jersey. The Chargers drafted Coleman in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft, helping start K-State's current 25-year streak of having at least one player drafted.
Across the room hangs Coleman's jersey from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played the most of the last two seasons of his five-year NFL career (1994-98).
On a different wall is another Chargers jersey. This one came from Super Bowl XXIX. In it, Coleman became the first Wildcat to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl when he took a kickoff 98 yards to the house. The actual ball from the kick return is displayed below the jersey.
"Get to the sideline and trust your speed," Coleman recalled thinking during the then-record setting play. "That's what I told Tyler Lockett. That's what I told Byron Pringle. That's what I told D.J. Reed. I can speak to that because I've been in that exact situation."
"That's what I try to tell guys today. The road you're going down, I've been down this road, and I'm telling you this is what you need to do. That's probably the biggest advantage I have when I talk to young guys," Coleman added. "Those are things I know because I've lived it, so I can help you not make mistakes that I made in the past and that's going to allow you to be successful for you and your family in securing your future. That's what it's about, trying to help these young guys and change generations."
The last sentence encompasses Coleman's biggest drive in coaching. Sure, he wants to help his players improve on the field. More important, however, is he wants to prepare them for life. In his mind, this is why he said yes to Wolford in 2010.
"I felt like it was my calling. I've always wanted to do something where I made a difference," he said. "Coaching was that outlet, was that platform to make a difference in young guys' lives."
Like most, Coleman's upbringing also plays a role in his desire to help young men, some of whom come from similar situations to his.Felt like it was my calling#KStateFB pic.twitter.com/i9yR88ZUa8
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) August 14, 2018
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 19, 1972, Coleman grew up in project housing. His grandmother's home, he said, housed upwards of 15 family members at a time. His biological father wasn't originally part of his life. His mother had nine sisters and one brother, so the male influences in his early life were few and far between.
He was moved out of that environment when his mother married a man in the military. They moved to Pennsylvania, spent some time in Germany and eventually moved back to Pennsylvania. At one point, Coleman was taken in by a different family that helped raise him.
"Kind of like The Blind Side. The same story, only we didn't win the Super Bowl," Coleman said, laughing. "But it's the exact same story. A family that was very influential in my life, a white family, so it was different for me and helped me understand that it's not a black or a white thing. It's good people and there's bad people, and I try to explain that to young guys today. That's a real life experience that I had."
Because of his unique upbringing, Coleman said "you see yourself, years ago," when he looks at a lot of his young players or recruits now.
"Having been through it," he said, "I have firsthand knowledge on how to kind of steer those guys the right way."
In one specific area, education, Coleman makes sure his players do not go the direction he did. He left K-State without his degree in 1993. He did return to finish it in social sciences in 2011, fulfilling a promise to his mother, who died of cancer, to become the first member of his family to graduate from college. Still, it's not the path he would recommend for any of his players.
"I was fortunate enough to play in the NFL and I got kind of a kick-start on life, but everybody doesn't get that opportunity. I try to equate that real life experience with them now," he said. "If it's important to you, you'll get it done. If it's important to you, you won't be late turning that assignment in. If it's important to you, you'll make sure you're at class. If you do those things, then you'll maximize your time here at K-State and you won't have to be like me and go back to school years later to get it done.
"That's a lesson that I try to teach them, a mistake that I made that I don't want them to make."
An intense and meticulous teacher, Coleman's lessons and his style of implementing them can take some getting used to, however.
For instance, in his first few months on staff at K-State, Coleman handed his receivers copies of the same DVD. It was filled with "the most basic drills ever," former Wildcat Curry Sexton said, laughing. "I remember a few us sat down to watch that DVD and we all were, like, 'Is this real?'"
When spring camp rolled around, the Wildcat receivers found out Coleman was indeed serious about those drills.
"That is exactly the kind of stuff that we worked on. It was a heavy emphasis on technique and explosiveness and getting in and out of breaks and stuff," Sexton said. "At first we thought the drills were kind of a joke but through time those drills played a huge part in helping all of us become much better receivers."
Coleman also implemented a new rule for his receivers. Every drop in practice, whether in warm-ups or a live scrimmage, equaled 10 up-downs afterward. A bad three-hour practice could become even longer.
"There would be guys that would have 60, 70, 80 up-downs. That was brutal, but it obviously had a huge effect," Sexton said. "You really learned to focus on every catch because, over the course of a long practice and a long game, it's easy to lose focus and make a routine catch into a drop. He really emphasized the importance of not putting balls on the ground. I remember thinking, 'This guy's nuts.' But, over time, it had a huge impact on our receiving group."
More than anything, Coleman said he tries to be "truth teller" for his players. They may hate what he says. They may love it. But he wants them to know that when he says something to them, it's the truth.
"I never rain on anybody's dream or aspirations but I try to be honest with them," he said. "I'm going to tell you like it is, but I'm telling you because I'm doing it out of love."
Sometimes players recognize this love while in the program. Other times, they don't see until after they leave. Burton belongs in the latter group.
Burton said the two "butted heads" often while he was at K-State. But when the Manhattan native graduated and started preparing for a run at the NFL, Coleman was at his side every step of the way.
"That whole offseason period he helped me out when it came to picking agents and the things I needed to do, what I needed to work on when I got to (training) camp, the things he's seen in the NFL. In the long run I would say that it's helped me so much because we built that relationship through those years of ups and downs," Burton, who also leaned on Coleman for advice when the Falcons asked him to switch to a defensive back, said. "Now, as I've matured, I kind of see the truth teller and all the things that he wanted to implement and help me with on and off the field to be a better person that will help me in any career."
"He had a huge impact on me and my trajectory in not only football but in life," added Sexton, currently finishing up his law degree at Washburn. "Just to see his aggressiveness and his demeanor, the way he attacks everything is something that will stick with me for a long time."
For Coleman, these are just two examples of his notes in life and football are paying off for his players. Byron Pringle is another. The former Wildcat, currently with the Kansas City Chiefs, became the first in his family to graduate from college last December.
"I was happy to play a small part in that being a first for Byron," Coleman said. "I know he will pay it forward and he'll make a difference in somebody else's life down the line. And that started right here at K-State. That's pretty cool."
Those moments and these examples, a few of many, are why Coleman looks at his offensive coordinator as more than a job.
"They say when you're doing something that you love, it's not work," he said, "and I really don't feel like it's work because I really found my calling."
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
K-State FB | Welcome back Collin Klein
Monday, December 08
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Radio Interview
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Official Introductory Event
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Thank You Coach Klieman
Wednesday, December 03
