VIDEO – Safety Erik Coleman came over to the Lions in the offseason this year, after 4 years with the Jets and 3 with the Falcons. Coleman was a major contributor to those teams, logging four years with 100 or more tackles.
He has provided some veteran leadership to an aggressive Lions defense that is young, and both better and deeper than anyone anticipated.
Coleman understands the importance of supporting your teammates, and how to build a cohesive winning attitude. When asked about his favorite football memory, the nine year veteran goes all the way back to his first NFL game, playing against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Coleman’s Jets were up late in the game, and he recalls how his teammates were there for him in a tough moment on the field.
“At the end of the game, we were up by… I want to say two touchdowns, and I was guarding Chad Johnson and he beat me for a touchdown… in my first game.”
Nothing is tougher than feeling like you’ve let your teammates down, especially in your first game as you are trying to prove yourself. But they always say that the most important thing for a defensive back is a short memory.
“I had my head down, and my teammates picked me back up. [We] went back on the next drive in the two minute drill, [and I] covered him again. That time I got an interception to seal the victory.”
This year’s Lions defense, led by Ndamukong Suh and a fierce pass rush up front, has played solid team football and shown an aggressiveness that has put the fear of the Lions into other teams. Just ask the Chicago Bears offensive line, who jumped offsides nine times trying to defend Jay Cutler from the ferocious pass rush.
So far this season, Coleman has been reduced to more of a role player for the Lions, as second year Amari Spievey and third year Louis Delmas have been getting most of the plays at safety. Coleman missed this week’s Monday Night Football game against the Bears as he works to recover from an ankle injury.
The Lions signed veteran safety Vince Fuller before Monday’s game against the Bears, after injuries to Coleman and Spievey significantly thinned them at safety. The Lions still haven’t missed a beat in spite of the injuries, as they advanced their record to 5-0. They face the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.
