More Mature Coleman Ready To Tackle The World
November 23, 2017 | Football
By Rich Myhre
Getting University of Washington running back Lavon Coleman to stop for an interview is a lot easier than trying to halt him on a football field. Because as fierce and relentless as Coleman is while pounding through opposing defenses, he is just as cheerful and engaging in conversation.
Thoughtful and articulate, and often with a buoyant smile, the fifth-year senior enjoys reminiscing about his UW experiences. Since arriving at Washington in the summer of 2013, Coleman says he has grown from an immature teenager to a young man with dreams for a promising future, both in football and in life.
Others see the same.
"He's come a long way in terms of understanding what it means to be accountable and responsible," said UW running backs coach Keith Bhonapha. "He's definitely matured, and I'm glad he was able to say it."
The truth is, it didn't start out that way. When Coleman arrived at Washington in the summer of 2013, just prior to his true freshman (and ultimately redshirt) season, "I was immature," he admitted. "Schoolwise, not being on top of things, procrastinating a lot, skipping class sometimes. Just (poor) mental decisions. … I was bad."
But a lot happened in that first year. First of all, and just days after he arrived on campus, he participated in Washington's LEAP program, which helps incoming freshman athletes adjust academically and socially to college. One of his mentors in the LEAP program was Torre Becton, who was Washington's assistant strength and conditioning coach at the time (today he is the head strength and conditioning coach at California).
Coleman credits Becton with shaping his perspective about being a young man of character and integrity. Along with Leander Coleman, his father, "those are two people I look at as far as how I want to carry myself," he said. "Those are two respectful, hard-nosed and understanding men, but they still have compassion."
Another turning point came in December of that same year when Chris Petersen was announced as Washington's new head coach, replacing Steve Sarkisian who took the head coaching position at USC.
Petersen and his staff of assistants soon established a new standard of expectations for player conduct, both on and off the field. The bottom line, according to Coleman, is that "it was time to be a man."
The new coaches, he went on, made it clear they were not going to babysit the players. Their message was "about teaching you how to be organized, how to be responsible, how to be accountable and really just how to be a man," he said.
"I fought it for a while. I was (thinking), 'I came here to (play) ball, and this isn't what it's about.' But then slowly but surely my mindset started to change. And the more that KB (Bhonapha) and Coach Pete talked to me, they made me understand that (irresponsibility and other poor personal choices) isn't how life works. And I finally figured it out at the end of last year."
Which brings us to the biggest life change for Coleman in his years at Washington. It happened on Dec. 19, 2016, which is the day that Kyree Coleman was born, making Lavon Coleman a father.
Childbirth can be emotionally overwhelming for any parent, and it certainly was for Coleman. The moment Kyree was born, "I lost all my breath," he said. "He came out and I was looking right at him and I was shaking. They put him down and he started crying, so I put my finger out and he squeezed it, and then I started crying."
Greeting his son at the hospital that day remains "my proudest moment," he said. The memory is still powerful, although there have been other equally meaningful moments as he has watched his son, now 11 months old, grow and develop.
Being a father "is just a blessing and something I'd never change for the world," he said. "My son is someone I know loves me and I love him. Watching him grow from not being able to understand anything to starting to play with toys and starting to walk around and starting to communicate … Babies can't talk, but he'll make noises and he says 'Da-da,' so he knows who I am and I love it."
And for all the times he heard the same message about maturity and responsibility, nothing made it hit home for Coleman like the knowledge that someone else was now counting on him.
After Kyree was born, "my whole mindset changed," he explained. "Before it was just about me. It was about playing football and things like that. But once I found out I was having a son, it flipped the whole script. Me playing football isn't just for me anymore. Now it's for insuring that I have a jump-start in life for him."
In the coming weeks, Coleman will wrap up both his athletic and academic careers at Washington. He will finish with football after the Huskies conclude whatever postseason opportunities await, and he will also receive a degree in anthropology at the end of fall quarter.
When he looks back later on, he expects certain memories will stand out. Like the 2016 season that saw Washington win a Pacific-12 Conference championship and then advance to play Alabama in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Last season was, Coleman said, "the funnest season ever. It was electric on the field and off the field. On the field it was insane. We were clicking on every cylinder. To go to the Pac-12 championship and win that, and then to go play Alabama … that season was just magical. It was beautiful and I really enjoyed it."
Also, he never expects to forget "my teammates, the friends I've met and the people I've connected with."
And although he will soon be leaving Washington, Coleman is counting on not leaving football. "I hope football is a part of my future, I really do," he said, foreseeing a possible NFL career. "And if it is, great."
But on the day he does step away from the sport, Coleman wants to become a firefighter. Former UW defensive back Mesphin Forester (2006-08) became a firefighter after graduation and has given Coleman, as the two men have become friends, a desire to pursue the same career.
Being a firefighter "is really (not much) different than football," Coleman said. "You're part of a team. You still have that community where you can influence lives outside of yours. But outside of that, after the (work) shift is over, I want to be home so I can watch my kids grow up. I want to be there as much as I can to be an influence for them."
It has taken some time, and by his own admission some zigging and zagging along the way, but Coleman now seems poised to follow up his Washington adventure with another new adventure in the bigger, wider world. No one has a crystal ball to glimpse the future, of course, but it seems he has a great chance to give that upcoming story a happy ending, too.
"A guy like Lavon has talent on a football field, but he's also a really nice, caring and articulate guy," Bhonapha said. "If he learns how to take care of business on the football field, but also to bring some of that same accountability and responsibility to off the field, and with the type of person he is, that's going to take him a long way (in life)."
Getting University of Washington running back Lavon Coleman to stop for an interview is a lot easier than trying to halt him on a football field. Because as fierce and relentless as Coleman is while pounding through opposing defenses, he is just as cheerful and engaging in conversation.
Thoughtful and articulate, and often with a buoyant smile, the fifth-year senior enjoys reminiscing about his UW experiences. Since arriving at Washington in the summer of 2013, Coleman says he has grown from an immature teenager to a young man with dreams for a promising future, both in football and in life.
Others see the same.
"He's come a long way in terms of understanding what it means to be accountable and responsible," said UW running backs coach Keith Bhonapha. "He's definitely matured, and I'm glad he was able to say it."
The truth is, it didn't start out that way. When Coleman arrived at Washington in the summer of 2013, just prior to his true freshman (and ultimately redshirt) season, "I was immature," he admitted. "Schoolwise, not being on top of things, procrastinating a lot, skipping class sometimes. Just (poor) mental decisions. … I was bad."
But a lot happened in that first year. First of all, and just days after he arrived on campus, he participated in Washington's LEAP program, which helps incoming freshman athletes adjust academically and socially to college. One of his mentors in the LEAP program was Torre Becton, who was Washington's assistant strength and conditioning coach at the time (today he is the head strength and conditioning coach at California).
Coleman credits Becton with shaping his perspective about being a young man of character and integrity. Along with Leander Coleman, his father, "those are two people I look at as far as how I want to carry myself," he said. "Those are two respectful, hard-nosed and understanding men, but they still have compassion."
Another turning point came in December of that same year when Chris Petersen was announced as Washington's new head coach, replacing Steve Sarkisian who took the head coaching position at USC.
Petersen and his staff of assistants soon established a new standard of expectations for player conduct, both on and off the field. The bottom line, according to Coleman, is that "it was time to be a man."
The new coaches, he went on, made it clear they were not going to babysit the players. Their message was "about teaching you how to be organized, how to be responsible, how to be accountable and really just how to be a man," he said.
"I fought it for a while. I was (thinking), 'I came here to (play) ball, and this isn't what it's about.' But then slowly but surely my mindset started to change. And the more that KB (Bhonapha) and Coach Pete talked to me, they made me understand that (irresponsibility and other poor personal choices) isn't how life works. And I finally figured it out at the end of last year."
Which brings us to the biggest life change for Coleman in his years at Washington. It happened on Dec. 19, 2016, which is the day that Kyree Coleman was born, making Lavon Coleman a father.
Childbirth can be emotionally overwhelming for any parent, and it certainly was for Coleman. The moment Kyree was born, "I lost all my breath," he said. "He came out and I was looking right at him and I was shaking. They put him down and he started crying, so I put my finger out and he squeezed it, and then I started crying."
Greeting his son at the hospital that day remains "my proudest moment," he said. The memory is still powerful, although there have been other equally meaningful moments as he has watched his son, now 11 months old, grow and develop.
Being a father "is just a blessing and something I'd never change for the world," he said. "My son is someone I know loves me and I love him. Watching him grow from not being able to understand anything to starting to play with toys and starting to walk around and starting to communicate … Babies can't talk, but he'll make noises and he says 'Da-da,' so he knows who I am and I love it."
And for all the times he heard the same message about maturity and responsibility, nothing made it hit home for Coleman like the knowledge that someone else was now counting on him.
After Kyree was born, "my whole mindset changed," he explained. "Before it was just about me. It was about playing football and things like that. But once I found out I was having a son, it flipped the whole script. Me playing football isn't just for me anymore. Now it's for insuring that I have a jump-start in life for him."
In the coming weeks, Coleman will wrap up both his athletic and academic careers at Washington. He will finish with football after the Huskies conclude whatever postseason opportunities await, and he will also receive a degree in anthropology at the end of fall quarter.
When he looks back later on, he expects certain memories will stand out. Like the 2016 season that saw Washington win a Pacific-12 Conference championship and then advance to play Alabama in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Last season was, Coleman said, "the funnest season ever. It was electric on the field and off the field. On the field it was insane. We were clicking on every cylinder. To go to the Pac-12 championship and win that, and then to go play Alabama … that season was just magical. It was beautiful and I really enjoyed it."
Also, he never expects to forget "my teammates, the friends I've met and the people I've connected with."
And although he will soon be leaving Washington, Coleman is counting on not leaving football. "I hope football is a part of my future, I really do," he said, foreseeing a possible NFL career. "And if it is, great."
But on the day he does step away from the sport, Coleman wants to become a firefighter. Former UW defensive back Mesphin Forester (2006-08) became a firefighter after graduation and has given Coleman, as the two men have become friends, a desire to pursue the same career.
Being a firefighter "is really (not much) different than football," Coleman said. "You're part of a team. You still have that community where you can influence lives outside of yours. But outside of that, after the (work) shift is over, I want to be home so I can watch my kids grow up. I want to be there as much as I can to be an influence for them."
It has taken some time, and by his own admission some zigging and zagging along the way, but Coleman now seems poised to follow up his Washington adventure with another new adventure in the bigger, wider world. No one has a crystal ball to glimpse the future, of course, but it seems he has a great chance to give that upcoming story a happy ending, too.
"A guy like Lavon has talent on a football field, but he's also a really nice, caring and articulate guy," Bhonapha said. "If he learns how to take care of business on the football field, but also to bring some of that same accountability and responsibility to off the field, and with the type of person he is, that's going to take him a long way (in life)."
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