Coleman Invited to 2002 Cactus Bowl

The Whataburger Cactus Bowl, formerly known as the Snow Bowl and played in Fargo, N.D., will feature the top 80 NCAA Division II football seniors in the nation and will be played with a East/West Team format. The Shriners Hospitals for Children, a non-profit charitable organization, has once again been selected as the designated charity for the Cactus Bowl and proceeds from the game will go to the Shriners' 22 children's hospitals throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The contest will be televised by FOX Sports Southwest and is also available for pickup in other areas through the Fox Sports Network. Last year's inaugural contest ended in a 33-33 tie before 12,500 fans in Kingsville.

Coleman is one of 40 senior standouts on the East All-Star Team, which will be coached by Jerry Campbell, Cally Gault, Jeremiah Jones, John Perry, Dr. Elliott Poss and Bob Strock. The East Squad includes seven other representatives from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) - wide receiver Pierre Brown of Wayne State, Michigan Tech guard Robert Jones, tackle Kent Cramer and linebacker Brock Swonguer of Ashland, Grand Valley State linebacker Clarence Lindsey, cornerback Demons Bryan of Saginaw Valley State and Hillsdale cornerback Tim Mustapha.

The NCAA Division II all-time leader in career pass receptions (323) and receiving yards (4,983), Coleman has been named to the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Division II Coaches' All-America Team, the D2.Football.com All-America First Team and the Daktronics, Inc. All-Northeast Region First Team in 2001.

Both a two-time (2000-01) All-GLIAC First-Team pick and FSU Most Valuable Player, Coleman led the nation this season in all-purpose yards (2,618) while ranking third nationally in receiving yards (122.4 ypg.), tied for fourth in receptions (8.5 rpg.) and sixth in punt returns (15.9 ypr.). For the 2001 campaign, Coleman registered 572 yards on 36 punt returns and had 29 kickoff returns for 661 yards (22.8 ypr.). Coleman, the 2001 GLIAC Co-Offensive Back of the Year, also had 84 receptions for 1,346 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 14.3 yards per catch in 11 contests this fall.

The 5-11, 182-pound Coleman concluded his four-year career with 42 touchdown receptions while averaging 7.7 receptions per game, 15.4 yards per catch and 118.6 receiving yards a contest in 42 career outings. The 2000 consensus All-American closed out his career ranking among all four NCAA division career leaders in six statistical categories - second in receptions, third in receiving yards, sixth in all-purpose yards (8,009), ninth in receiving yards per game, tied for 13th in receptions per contest and tied for 16th in touchdown receptions. Coleman, who holds 11 school career and single-season records, totaled 11 double-figure reception games and 27 100-yard plus receiving single-game performances in his career. The Ferris State wideout is also the GLIAC's all-time record holder in receptions (291), receiving yards (4,594), all-purpose yards (7,227), punt return touchdowns (five) and receiving touchdowns (40). Coleman was among nine national finalists for the 2001 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA-II College Football Player of the Year and finished fifth overall with 52 points in the final balloting.

Coleman joins a group of seven former Ferris State standouts – Rich Eash (1994), Ed Philion (1994), Chadd Richard (1995), Jerry Prys (1996), Doc Proctor (1999), Dennis Strey (1999) and Dave Zuiderveen (2000) to participate in the NCAA-II Cactus Bowl All-Star Game.