Leonard Coleman

For the baseball league president, see Leonard S. Coleman Jr.
Leonard Coleman
No. 47, 31
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1962-01-30) January 30, 1962 (age 62)
Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Lake Worth (FL)
College:Vanderbilt
NFL draft:1984 / round: 1 / pick: 8
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:6
Fumble recoveries:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Leonard David Coleman (born January 30, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL).

Coleman was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, a suburb of Miami, and played scholastically at nearby Lake Worth High School.[1] He played collegiately for the Vanderbilt Commodores,[2] and, as a senior, was selected as a first-team All-American by Gannett News Service (GNS).[3]

Coleman was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1984 NFL draft, the first player drafted by the team following its relocation from Baltimore.[4][5] He sat out the 1984 NFL season because of a contract dispute,[6][7] instead signing a deal with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League and completing his degree at Vanderbilt.[8] Early in the 1985 season, however, Coleman joined the Colts after the club bought out his contract with Memphis.[9] He started all 16 games for Indianapolis in 1986,[10] but played in only four games in 1987.[10]

Coleman was traded to the Chargers for an undisclosed draft pick on July 9, 1988,[11] playing 16 games in 1988 and one in 1989[10] before being waived on September 12, 1989.[12]

  1. ^ "Leonard Coleman Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Leonard Coleman Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  3. ^ Buchsbaum, Joel S. (November 29, 1983). "Young, not Rozier deserves trophy". The Pensacola Journal. Gannett News Service. p. 3B. Retrieved February 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ Palmer, Pete; Pullis, Ken; Lahman, Sean; Silverman, Matthew; Gillette, Gary. The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia: First Edition, p. 1426. ESPN Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-4027-4216-3.
  5. ^ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Lawrence Journal-World. "Colts' top draft pick upset by Irsay remarks". July 4, 1984, p. 11. Retrieved on June 13, 2013.
  7. ^ Marmor, Jon (July 27, 1984). "Colts' Impasse Pushing Coleman Toward USFL". The Palm Beach Post. pp. D1, D3. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  8. ^ Snook, Jeff (December 5, 1984). "Coleman Has Money, Pride; Degree Next". The Palm Beach Post. pp. D1, D3. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  9. ^ "Colts Acquire Coleman". The Palm Beach Post. September 19, 1985. p. D9. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  10. ^ a b c Palmer et al., p. 148.
  11. ^ Bowling Green Daily News. "Transactions". July 10, 1988, p. 20-A. Retrieved on June 13, 2013.
  12. ^ Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "Transactions: Tuesday's Moves". September 13, 1989, p. 2C. Retrieved on June 13, 2013.