Don Edwin Coleman

Don Edwin Coleman

Michigan State Football Player (1949 – 1951)

Don Coleman was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma and moved with his family to Flint, Michigan before his freshman year in high school. After graduating from Flint Central High School, he went on to play football at Michigan State and played so well at tackle he was named Michigan State’s first unanimous All-American and the school’s first African American All-American. During his senior season in 1951, he was selected as the team MVP for the undefeated Spartans. Coleman was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the eighth round of the 1952 NFL draft but went into the U.S. Army where he served for two years. After his discharge, he felt he was too small to pursue a career in the NFL and went on to a career in education both in the Flint public schools and at Michigan State. Don Coleman was the first player to have his number retired at Michigan State, was a part of the inaugural class inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Flint Hall of Fame, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975 and inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He passed away on January 30, 2017 at 88 years of age.