Clarence Coleman To Sign Free-Agent Contract With Buffalo Bills

Former Ferris State University flanker Clarence Coleman (Miami, Fla./Miramar) agreed to a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) in a official announcement released by the NFL club.

Coleman, who was chosen the Most Valuable Back in the 2002 Whataburger Cactus Bowl Division II All-Star Game (Jan. 11), will be among 12 rookie free agents joining Buffalo after not being selected in last weekend’s (April 20-21) 2002 NFL Draft. He will officially sign a contract with Buffalo this weekend (April 26-27) during the Bills’ rookie mini-camp at Orchard Park, N.Y.

The two-time All-American did receive offers from several other teams but agreed to terms with the Bills, who were the first club to contact him following the NFL Draft. Coleman is represented by NFL Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins’ all-time great Nick Buoniconti.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said Coleman, who credited the Ferris State coaching staff for giving him an opportunity to showcase his talents. “I’m thankful for the chance to get my foot into the door and plan on making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“They (Buffalo) told me I probably will be returning kickoffs and punts, but I’m hoping to play at wide receiver too,” Coleman added.

The NCAA Division II’s all-time leader in career pass receptions (323) and receiving yards (4,983), Coleman was a 2001 consensus All-America selection. The wide receiver was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Division II Coaches, D2Football.com, Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, The Associated Press and Daktronics, Inc. in 2001. Coleman was also recognized following the 2001 season as the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette’s NCAA-II Most Valuable Receiver for the second consecutive year.

Both a two-time (2000-01) All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (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 last fall.

The 5-11, 182-pound Coleman concluded his four-year FSU 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.

The signing of Coleman marks the second straight year Ferris has had a player receive a NFL tryout. Former Bulldog defensive end Dave Zuiderveen signed a free-agent rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons in April 2001 and was released by the club prior to the start of the 2001 NFL season.

Former Ferris State standouts Monty Brown (linebacker) and Ed Philion (defensive tackle) were the most recent Bulldogs to play in the NFL. Brown originally signed a rookie free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills in 1993 before joining the New England Patriots in 1996 as a restricted free agent. He competed in two Super Bowls – XXXVIII with Buffalo and XXXL with New England. Philion, currently a member of the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Montreal Alouettes, inked a rookie free agent contract with Buffalo in 1994 and then was claimed by the Carolina Panthers in 1996. He spent the 1998 NFL Preseason as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a result of leading the Rhein Fire to the inaugural NFL Europe World Bowl title in the summer of ‘98.

NOTE – The Buffalo Bills’ official website address is: www.buffalobills.com.