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Monte Coleman, Walk-On Legend in Arkansas, NFL Star, Dies at 68

Went from 170-pound walk-on at UCA to three Super Bowl rings with Washington Redskins
Andy Hodges|
Washington Redskins linebacker Monte Coleman on the field during a game.
Washington Redskins linebacker Monte Coleman on the field during a game. | Washington Commanders Photo

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Central Arkansas BearsArkansas RazorbacksArkansas-Pine Bluff Golden LionsWashington Commanders

Before there was Brandon Burlsworth, there was Monte Coleman, a walk-on success story so synonymous with the state of Arkansas that a lot of people don't realize he wasn't a Razorback.

Instead, the NFL legend who passed away this weekend, came through the Central Arkansas pipeline when playing for the Bears was as far from Super Bowls as most high school programs.

To make the journey even more improbable, he didn't exactly arrive at Central Arkansas looking like a future NFL champion.

He showed up as a 170-pound walk-on from Pine Bluff who'd barely played high school football. Sixteen NFL seasons, three Super Bowl rings, and a Ring of Fame induction later, his journey stands as one of the more remarkable in college football history.

Research indicates only former Razorback quarterback Joe Ferguson's 17 years in the NFL was a longer stretch by any player in Arkansas.

The Washington Commanders announced Sunday that Coleman had died. He was 68. Born on Nov. 4, 1957, in Pine Bluff, Ark., Coleman became the first UCA player ever drafted by an NFL team and eventually he evolved into one of the most decorated defensive players in Washington franchise history.

"Monte Coleman was a man of high character and great integrity," UCA athletics director Matt Whiting said. "Not only did Monte have an outstanding playing career at UCA and in the NFL, his mentorship as a coach impacted the lives of countless young athletes. Monte will be missed by many, and we'll always remember his positive impact and the legacy he leaves behind."

That legacy reaches well beyond the football field, touching coaches, teammates, small communities across Southeast Arkansas, and young men he mentored long after hanging up his cleats.

Walk-On to Washington's Cornerstone

Coleman's path to football stardom didn't follow a straight line. He didn't play much football in high school in Pine Bluff before finding his way to Conway and the UCA program.

He wasn't physically imposing when he arrived, but something about the way he carried himself stood out immediately to the people around him.

"From the time he stepped in as a freshman he led the team in prayers and then on the field, too," said former teammate Ken Gilkey. "He was a consistent figure that would lead in the weight room. It was hard working out, but he wasn't just a bulky player."

Gilkey grew up in Danville, a small town tucked into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. He and Coleman grew close quickly, partly because life in Minton Hall — the Bears' football dorm — had a way of bringing people together fast.

Former UCA Bears safety Monte Coleman (81) during a game in 1976
Former UCA Bears safety Monte Coleman (81) during a game in 1976. | UCA Sports

Coleman played safety for UCA before moving to linebacker as a senior. In that time, he put together a college career that still stands out with 22 interceptions, a school record that stood as a program benchmark.

He was part of the 1976 Bears squad that played for a national championship under coach Ken Stephens — a team that helped launch a winning tradition that's produced a .700-plus win percentage over the past 50 years.

Washington noticed. Then-general manager Bobby Beathard saw something during a scouting trip that he tried his best to hide.

"The first time I saw him, I was with eight other scouts," Beathard told me a few years later at a game against the Dallas Cowboys. "I couldn't stop watching him, but I just had to hope no one saw my interest in him. He just looked like a linebacker to me. He had big legs, he could run, he was smart and he was from a great system."

Washington grabbed Coleman in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft, making him the first Bear ever taken by an NFL franchise. Despite going late in the draft as Washington's fourth pick that year, Coleman's development made Beathard look like a genius.

16 Seasons, Three Rings, One Team

Coleman's development from undersized walk-on to physical specimen became the stuff of locker room legend in Washington. Former defensive tackle Dave Butz recalled the team's strength coach literally riding on Coleman's back during push-ups to add resistance. Former safety Mark Murphy wasn't surprised.

"He was so fast," Murphy said. "I would not have wanted to race him."

Murphy also noted that Coleman's body transformed at a pace that turned heads around the roster. His instincts and athleticism made him a fixture in Washington's defense for the next decade and a half.

Coleman spent all 16 of his NFL seasons in a Washington uniform — never requesting a trade, never chasing a bigger contract somewhere else. In 215 regular-season games, he recorded 999 solo tackles, second in franchise history.

He also added 49.5 sacks, 17 interceptions — three returned for touchdowns — and 62 starts. He led the entire NFL in tackles in 1980 with 118 stops.

Only cornerback Darrell Green played more games for the franchise.

Cardinals tight end Robert Awalt (80) and Washington Redskins linebacker Monte Coleman (51) exchange words
St. Louis Cardinals tight end Robert Awalt (80) and Washington Redskins linebacker Monte Coleman (51) exchange words during their game at RFK Stadium. | Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The three Super Bowl championships — following the 1982, 1987, and 1991 seasons — all had Coleman's name on the roster. He also helped Washington reach a fourth Super Bowl before retiring in 1994. Years later, he reflected on what those titles still meant.

"We probably did something that we hope can be repeated by the modern-era Redskins," Coleman said, "but right now people still identify with us as Super Bowl champs. It gives you a sense of credibility to say that I was a part of the good old days when the Redskins were winning Super Bowls."

Managing Partner Josh Harris echoed that sentiment in a statement released Sunday.

"Monte Coleman was one of the greatest players in Washington history," Harris said. "He was one of the pillars of our championship defenses having played for all three Super Bowl-winning teams. His durability and leadership set the standard for what it meant to suit up for the Burgundy & Gold."

Coaching, Community and Carrying It Forward

When Coleman's playing career ended in 1994, he didn't step away from football — he stepped into a new role.

He joined the staff at Arkansas-Pine Bluff as a linebackers coach and, in 2007, was elevated to head coach of the Golden Lions.

In 2012, he guided UAPB to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, adding a coaching title to a résumé already loaded with playing honors.

"Coach Coleman represented everything we strive for at UAPB," said UAPB athletic director Chris Robinson. "Excellence, integrity, and a relentless commitment to developing our student-athletes. His legacy is not only written in championships and honors, but in the lives he changed every single day."

Gilkey, who remained one of Coleman's closest friends in his final years, saw that commitment to people up close. Coleman regularly drove out to small, remote towns in southeast Arkansas to preach and work with community groups.

"I know him from being a man standpoint," Gilkey said. "His preaching and working with kids and grown men, he did it out of his heart. His heart was more than just playing football. He was a great man."

The accolades that came outside of football underlined a career well-lived. In 1996, he was named Washingtonian of the Year for his community service and philanthropic work.

Two years later, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted him. He was named to Washington's 70 Greatest list, received the Elijah Pitts Award for lifetime achievement, and in 2015 was inducted into Washington's Ring of Fame.

That last honor meant more to Coleman than almost anything.

"That was one of the greatest accolades I've ever received," Coleman said. "To be listed among those players, I'll always cherish that. That means a whole lot to me."

Coleman is survived by his wife of 43 years, Yvette, and their five children: Jasmine, Kyndall, Kyle, Corey, and Londie. He was 68 years old.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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