Syracuse Football: Kendall Coleman signs with hometown Colts
By Josh Peelman
Syracuse football star Kendall Coleman didn’t get picked in the NFL Draft. However, he did sign as a free agent with his hometown Indianapolis Colts.
Kendall Coleman didn’t hear his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft. His former Syracuse Football teammates Strerling Hofrichter and Alton Robinson did, but he, unfortunately, didn’t. The good news though is that allowed him to sign with any NFL team that wanted him as a free agent. As a result, he chose to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.
Why Indy? Well, first off, Indianapolis is home-sweet-home for the defensive lineman, so the fit is perfect. He went to Cathedral High School in Indianapolis according to Syracuse.com. It was there that he chose to sign with Syracuse over Western Michigan. As it turns out, he would go on to have an outstanding career for the Orange and be a four-year starter and ultimately get signed by the Colts.
Second, the Colts love character guys who are great in the locker room, earn their playing time, and leave it all out on the field. Coleman is that guy. So this really is a match made in heaven for both parties.
Third, leading up to the draft, the former Syracuse football stud was training with former Colt’s star Robert Mathis. Mathis said he was teaching Coleman not just the fundamentals, but also how to be successful long term. Mathis had this to say to the IndyStar about his training with Robert Mathis:
"“It’s easy to get in the league; it’s harder to stay in the league. I’m teaching him how to stay in the league.”"
Not to sound too biased here, but I’m a huge Colts fan, so of course, I love the move. In the last couple of years, we have seen Coleman grow into a beast on the defensive line, and develop into an NFL prospect.
Sure, he doesn’t have elite speed or any special technique that gives him an advantage over his opponents, but he has the strength and agility to get into the backfield to tackle backs for losses and threaten the quarterback into a bad throw. So for the Colts to grab a guy like Coleman who may not be a starter, but is a good rotation type player who can spell your starter is a major win.
The Colts haven’t made the playoffs the last couple years, and Coleman won’t be this massive game-changer that puts them over the top. However, he is a great fit for this team at this time as they work to build an unstoppable defense that will hopefully lead them to a Super Bowl.