Coleman on fast track to success
Ex- Oak Forest star big part of Falcons’ explosive offense
HOUSTON — Running back Tevin Coleman didn’t think all this would happen so fast.
Two years ago, the Oak Forest High School alum was preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine. On Sunday, he’ll try to help the Atlanta Falcons win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots as a major weapon in the NFL’s highest- flying offense.
‘‘ I did not expect this at all,’’ Coleman said Monday at Minute Maid Park. ‘‘ This is a great opportunity, and I’m going to enjoy it.’’
He has done that all season. In 13 regular- season games, Coleman had 118 carries for 520 yards. Only 10 running backs ran for more touchdowns than his eight, and each had more carries than he did. All but two had at least 100 more carries.
‘‘ He does a great job outrunning people,’’ center Alex Mack said. ‘‘ He’s a really dynamic running back who’s done some great things in the run game and also [ catching] the ball.’’
Only seven running backs topped Coleman’s 421 receiving yards ( on 31 catches) during the regular season. That might be more impressive than his homerun gallops, given that, like Bears running back Jordan Howard after him, he emerged from an Indiana offense that seldom threw to him.
In fact, Coleman said, it probably took a year for him to adjust to the Falcons’ offense, a fact that might leave Bears fans salivating about Howard’s possible secondyear jump.
‘‘ It was a lot when I came here, with the offense lining up out wide and things like that,’’ said Coleman, whom the Falcons selected in the third round of the 2015 draft. ‘‘ It was just getting comfortable with lining up out wide.’’
Coleman and Howard never played together on the Hoosiers, but Coleman called him a ‘‘ real good dude’’ who shared his quiet demeanor. And like Howard did this month, Coleman stressed the importance of keeping his body fresh.
Because he has, the Falcons have what Coleman called the best one- two running- back punch in the NFL. Devonta Freeman gained 1,079 yards on 227 carries during the regular season.
Their harmony was broken for a bit when Freeman’s agent told NFL. com Monday that his client expects to be paid like an elite back — and soon. General manager Thomas Dimitroff said he spoke with Freeman, who told him he was focused on the Super Bowl.
‘‘ This is where he wants to be, and we’d like to have him here,’’ Dimitroff said.
That would mean more time for Freeman to pair with Coleman, who has two years left on his deal.
‘‘ Devonta brings something to the table,’’ Coleman said. ‘‘ I do, too.’’