Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL). He was drafted by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
in the third round of the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previo ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
at
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
, where he was a unanimous
All-American. He also played for the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
.
Early years
Coleman attended
Oak Forest High School in
Oak Forest, Illinois
Oak Forest is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The city is out south-southwest of downtown Chicago in Bremen Township. Per the 2020 census, the population was 27,478.
History
Human habitation in Oak Forest began during the ea ...
. He played running back,
wide receiver, and
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
, and also returned kicks and punts. He was named the 2011 Southtown Star Player of the Year. As a senior, he rushed for 949 yards on 83 carries with 13 touchdowns, and also had 16 receptions for 345 yards and five touchdowns.
In addition, Coleman was on the school's
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
team, where he competed as a sprinter and jumper. He was one of the best 100-meter sprinters and long-jumpers in the state of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
as a high schooler. At the 2011 IHSA State Championships, he placed fourth in the 100m, at 10.86, and took second in the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a ...
, getting a personal-best mark of 7.16 meters. At the 2011 Thornton Classic Meet, he took gold in the long jump, with a mark of 6.88 meters, and finished second in the 100 m, at 10.8 seconds. At the 2011 IHSA 2A State T&F Championship, he ran the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
in a PR of 10.5 seconds, on his way to a second-place finish.
Considered a three-star recruit by the
Rivals.com recruiting network, Coleman was ranked as the No. 37 running back nationally in 2012. He chose Indiana over scholarship offers from
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, and
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
.
College career
Coleman attended and played college football for Indiana University from 2012 to 2014 under head coach
Kevin Wilson.
As a true freshman in 2012, Coleman played in 12 games with two starts. He rushed for 225 yards on 51 attempts and one
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
and also had 566
kick return yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore in 2013, Coleman started the first nine games of the season, before suffering an
ankle sprain
A sprained ankle, also known as a twisted ankle or rolled ankle, is an injury where sprain occurs on one or more ligaments of the ankle. It is the most common injury to occur in ball sports, such as basketball, volleyball, football, and racquet ...
that caused him to miss the final three games. He finished the year with 958 rushing yards on 131 carries with 12 touchdowns.
In the first game of his junior season in 2014, Coleman rushed for 247 yards and two touchdowns against
Indiana State. In the following game, at Bowling Green, he had 190 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. On October 4, against North Texas, he had 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. In the next game, against Iowa, he had 219 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Coleman's 307-yard day in a loss at
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
on November 15 became second highest rushing day in school history, behind only
Anthony Thompson at
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
. On November 22, against Ohio State, he had 228 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. On November 25, Coleman and fellow
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
running backs
Melvin Gordon
Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round ...
(
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
) and
Ameer Abdullah
Ameer Abdullah (born June 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football ...
(
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
) were named the three finalists for the
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
. In the final game of the
2014 season, on November 29 versus rival
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
, Coleman rushed for 130 yards on 29 carries, finishing the season with 2,036 yards. He became the 18th player in
NCAA Division I FBS
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
history to reach 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season. His 2,036 rushing yards also broke the school's single-season record, which had been held by
Vaughn Dunbar
Vaughn Allen Dunbar (born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, and earned Al ...
who had 1,805 yards in
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
. Coleman finished seventh in the 2014
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...
voting having received two first place votes.
On December 29, 2014, Coleman announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previo ...
.
Statistics
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons
Coleman was selected by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
in the third round with the 73rd overall pick of the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previo ...
. He was the fifth of 18 running backs to be selected that year. On May 12, 2015, Coleman signed his rookie contract, a four-year contract worth $3,219,012, with a $745,244 signing bonus.
2015 season: Rookie year
On September 8, 2015, due to the injury of
Devonta Freeman
Devonta Cornellius Freeman ( ; born March 15, 1992) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
High sc ...
, Coleman was named the Falcons feature
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
to start the season. On September 14, 2015, Coleman made his NFL debut, running for 80 yards on a season-high 20 carries against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
on ''Monday Night Football''. On September 20, 2015, Coleman scored his first touchdown of his career against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
. Coleman suffered a
fractured rib
A rib fracture is a break in a rib bone. This typically results in chest pain that is worse with inspiration. Bruising may occur at the site of the break. When several ribs are broken in several places a flail chest results. Potential complicatio ...
in the game and was sidelined for Week 3 and Week 4 against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
and the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
, respectively. On November 29, 2015, Coleman ran for a season-high 110 yards on 18 carries against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, his first 100-yard game of his career. In his rookie season, Coleman rushed for 392 yards for one touchdown. Coleman was ranked 11th among rookies in rushing yards.
2016 season
During the season opener, Coleman caught five passes for 95 yards in a 31–24 loss against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
. In the next game, he scored his first touchdown of the season, a 13-yarder, against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
. On September 26, Coleman scored a career-high three touchdowns against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, his first multi-touchdown game. On October 9, Coleman caught four passes for a career-high 132 yards and a touchdown against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
, his first touchdown reception of his career. On October 23, Coleman ran for 64 yards on eight carries and a touchdown against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
.
Coleman ran 30 yards for the touchdown. Coleman suffered a hamstring injury in the game.
Coleman was sidelined from Week 8 and Week 9's matchups against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
and the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, respectively.
On February 5, 2017, Coleman scored a six-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter of
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New ...
against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. In addition, he had seven rushes for 29 yards in the Super Bowl. However, his efforts were not enough as the Patriots defeated the Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.
Coleman's 6.3 yards per touch in 2016 was second among NFL running backs with more than 100 touches (carries plus receptions).
2017 season
During a Week 2 34–23 victory over the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
, Coleman had six carries for 42 yards and a three-yard receiving touchdown in the first game in the new
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in August 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it serves as the home stadium of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League ( ...
. His touchdown reception was the first receiving touchdown in the new stadium's history. During a Week 12 34–20 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, he had 19 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns for his second career game with multiple touchdown scores.
Coleman finished the 2017 season with 628 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 299 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. The Falcons made the playoffs as the #6-seed. In the
Wild Card Round, against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
, he had 40 rushing yards and 28 receiving yards in the 26–13 victory. In the
Divisional Round against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, he had 79 rushing yards and a 14-yard reception in the 15–10 loss.
2018 season
During a Week 2 31–24 victory over the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, Coleman recorded 107 rushing yards for his second career game with 100+ rushing yards. He was named the starter the rest of the season in Week 6 after a season-ending injury to
Devonta Freeman
Devonta Cornellius Freeman ( ; born March 15, 1992) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
High sc ...
. In Week 15, a 40–14 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
, Coleman rushed for a career-high 145 yards.
Coleman finished the season with a career-high 800 rushing yards and five receiving touchdowns, he also eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time in his career.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 14, 2019, Coleman signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
.
2019 season
During the season-opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, Coleman rushed for 23 yards on six carries but suffered a high-ankle sprain that kept him sidelined for four weeks. The 49ers went on to win on the road by a score of 31–17. During Week 5 against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
, he returned from his injury and rushed 16 times for 97 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season in a 31–3 victory. Three weeks later against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, Coleman had 105 rushing yards and four touchdowns as the 49ers won 51–13. He was just the third 49er to score four touchdowns in a game, and the first since Hall-of-Famer
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Known primarily as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, winning three champion ...
in 1993.
Coleman finished his first season with the 49ers with 544 rushing yards and six touchdowns along with 21 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown.
In the
Divisional Round of the playoffs against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, Coleman rushed 22 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns during the 27–10 victory. In the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Amer ...
against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
, he had six carries for 21 yards, but left the game early with a shoulder injury. Despite missing the rest of the game, the 49ers still won, 37–20, to advance to
Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...
. In the Super Bowl, Coleman recorded five carries for 28 yards and caught a three-yard reception, but the 49ers lost to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
by a score of 31–20.
2020 season
On September 26, 2020, Coleman was placed on injured reserve after suffering a sprained knee in Week 2. He was activated on October 31.
New York Jets
On March 25, 2021, Coleman signed a one-year, $2 million contract with
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. He played in 11 games with five starts, finishing second on the team with 356 rushing yards and no touchdowns along with 11 catches for 49 yards.
On March 17, 2022, Coleman re-signed with the Jets. He was released on August 30, 2022.
San Francisco 49ers (second stint)
On September 21, 2022, Coleman signed with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on October 12, 2022. In Week 5, against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, he had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the 37–15 victory. On October 25, Coleman was released, but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
References
External links
Tevin Coleman on Twitter
San Francisco 49ers bioIndiana Hoosiers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Tevin
1993 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
All-American college football players
American football running backs
Atlanta Falcons players
Indiana Hoosiers football players
New York Jets players
People from Oak Forest, Illinois
People from Tinley Park, Illinois
Players of American football from Illinois
San Francisco 49ers players
Sportspeople from Cook County, Illinois
21st-century African-American sportspeople