teammates gave him the opportunity to
step in at running back last season and
play on both sides of the ball.
He had 39 tackles and two intercep-
tions on defense. He also ran for 1,168
yards and 13 touchdowns out of Arch-
bishop Alter's wishbone formation.
Big Ten schools like Michigan State,
Illinois and Ohio State took notice, and
several of them offered scholarships this
spring. Alig said long runs and athletic
cuts across the grain showcased the
same speed and footwork that made
Coleman a worthy prospect on defense.
Playing on offense gave Coleman a bet-
ter idea of what he could accomplish
as well.
"It sent a message to him that, 'OK,
maybe I am pretty good at this game,'"
Alig said. "He started to realize that,
and he gained some more confidence
in himself, that he was one of the better
players out there. … I think that really
corresponded with him becoming one
of the players known in the area, and
then it just kind of exploded through-
out the whole scene of recruiting from
there."
Alig said he and Coleman have been
focusing on finishing plays on defense
this summer — figuring out how to use
technique to turn tackles into passes
broken up and passes broken up into
interceptions. Coleman, who plans to
visit South Bend again in September
when the Irish play Michigan, said he
is happy to have the recruiting process
behind him so he can keep his sights
set on a state championship this season.
That should give him some bragging
rights when he joins Zaire on campus
next summer. ✦
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