CALEDONIA — Coby Coleman saw the excitement on National Signing Day in the Golden Triangle and waited.
The Caledonia High School senior had hoped to be one of many local standouts who received an opportunity in February to play football in college, but Coleman didn’t get an offer.
Undaunted, Coleman and Caledonia High football coach Andy Crotwell continued to work to keep the dream alive. Film was sent to college coaches. Phone calls were made to let people know Coleman was still available. While Crotwell worked to get the word out, Coleman bided his time in the weight room and stayed motivated for a chance to prove he belonged at the next level.
The waiting officially ended Thursday morning when Coleman signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead.
Coleman, a 6-foot-1, 269-pound defensive lineman, credited Crotwell for not giving up on him and for continuing to help him find a place to play.
“It is April and most coaches would have given up, so I really appreciate coach Crotwell on this long journey and the two years of football I have played with him,” Coleman said.
Coleman had 25 solo tackles and was fourth in tackles overall (47) this past season for the Confederates (5-5). He had five-and-a-half tackles for loss and led the team with four-and-a-half sacks. He also had a fumble recovery, two caused fumbles, and one blocked field goal.
Crotwell said it was easy to work well past the initial signing day in February because he knew Coleman could play in college. He said he didn’t want Coleman to be another player who “slipped through the cracks,” so he worked the phones and talked to coaches on behalf of one of his senior standouts.
“You always want to be up front with a college about what a young man’s abilities are and his limitations are because you want them to come back for the sake of the kids you have in the future,” Crotwell said. “You want to be as honest as you can and to build a relationship that is based on trust. Like I said, Coby is a young man that needs to being playing college football. He is athletic enough. He is a great young man. He is not ever going to put himself in a situation where he is going to embarrass the school. He is going to keep his nose clean and do all of the things they ask him to do. He is a guy that needs to be playing college football for him and for the respective team he is going to play with.”
Coleman admitted he didn’t think he would realize his dream to play in college. He acknowledged he used the doubt about playing on the next level as motivation to get stronger and to improve his footwork. Coleman said he talked to Crotwell through the recruiting process and was able to pick the school he thought was best.
Crotwell said Coleman has made significant strides after sitting out his sophomore season. He said Coleman has good explosiveness and uses his hands well to get off blocks. He believes Mississippi Delta C.C. landed a “steal” for someone who didn’t get a chance to sign in February.
“Signing day is not the end, it is the beginning of the signing period,” Crotwell said. “We just kept working to try to find a place. There were several junior colleges surprised Coby was still available at this date. He had an opportunity to pick the one that fit him the best. I think he made a good decision.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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