Greg Coleman is a former NFL punter and sideline radio reporter for KFAN.
Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Coleman grew up in the sixties, in an era where even though the American way of life was rapidly changing, strong values and family connection were still at the forefront of everything.
“We were as good as we thought we were,” Coleman recalls of his childhood.
“We had community and people who cared about the well being of each other.”
At eight years old, Coleman quickly began displaying gridiron gifts that trumped those of his peers, but his talents didn’t include leaping for acrobatic catches or chucking a football a country mile.
Instead, Coleman’s prowess was most evident when he kicked footballs.
Using pop cans to concoct a makeshift tee, Coleman routinely drove balls over fences, houses, and across the street into unsuspecting lawns, drawing awes from nearby onlookers.
“I quickly figured out that very few kids had the same kicking abilities that I did, but most kids also didn’t want to be a kicker or a punter,” says Coleman, who as a youth football player occupied both the kicker and punter positions.
“Back then kids were more interested in the glamorous positions like quarterback, running back, or wide receiver.”
Fast and athletic, but not physically imposing, to stay on active rosters Coleman spent his teenage years refining his kicking skills, but his passion for the role wasn’t cemented until he saw a Baltimore Colts game on TV.
During that game, Coleman noticed how, while all the other players had mud and blood stains on their jersey, the punter’s attire was pristine, untainted by the rugged nature inherent in football.
“Right then it clicked, and then I started paying closer attention to how to develop that skill set and become elite,” Coleman says.
That devotion proved worthwhile as colleges began to recruit Coleman to kick for their football team.
Ultimately, Coleman accepted a scholarship offer from Florida A&M in nearby Tallahassee.
His first two years on campus, Coleman’s powerful leg earned him playing time, but it wasn’t until his junior year, following a pivotal conversation with Coach Pop Kittles, that Coleman’s game ascended to pro-level competency.
That’s because even though Coleman could boom punts seventy yards downfield, he hadn’t considered the deeper nuances of his position.
For example, Kittles taught Coleman how instead of simply mashing the football when he punted, he could place the ball in precarious positions so that opponents couldn’t easily catch and return the ball.
“Pop Kittles was a sage, and he kept telling me that if I could consistently put the ball in the corners, teams at the next level would find a place for me,” Coleman shares.
Pop Kittle’s assessment was legitimate.
After two more seasons of college football, Coleman was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1976, but he didn’t make the team, so he returned to Jacksonville and began a teaching career at Raines High School, a school he attended that also has the distinction of having two members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Harold Carmichael and Brian Dawkins.
Over 65 members of this high school have put on a NFL, MLB or NBA uniform. One of those men also was a Pop Warner, high school, and NFL teammate of Coleman’s for 6 years with the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiver Terry LeCount.
Coleman did eventually work his way back to the NFL, and after 61 punts and one season with the Browns, Coleman joined the Minnesota Vikings, where he would then spend the next decade pinning opposing teams near their own end zone.
During his stint with the Vikings, Coleman became forever etched into NFL lore when legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell, after witnessing Coleman place several balls deep inside enemy territory in a game, coined the nickname Coffin Corner Coleman.
Since Cosell uttered that name, the term Coffin Corner entered the NFL vernacular, to the point that broadcasters today still use that phrase, and the popular video game series, Madden, incorporated it into their gameplay models.
Despite being associated with such a memorable name, Coleman’s on-field legacy extends much further than just a moniker.
For years Coleman gave opposing offensive coordinators headaches, his pinpoint punts often forcing teams to adjust their gameplans to account for subpar field position.
“Focus is crucial,” Coleman says when asked what makes an NFL punter special.
“It doesn’t matter how strong your leg is because what coaches are looking for is consistency and dependability. That’s what keeps players employed.”
For context, Hall of Famer Ray Guy is considered by many to be the best punter in NFL history, and while Guy’s resume is undeniably impressive, there were things Coleman could do that Guy simply couldn’t match.
“Ray Guy could absolutely boom the ball, but I could kick a football into a garbage can placed on the five-yard line,” Coleman says.
“Very few NFL punters could do that as consistently as me.”
Upon retiring from the NFL in 1988, Coleman was ready to embark on a new journey, albeit one that would still allow him to be around the game, and that’s how he got involved in broadcasting.
As a high schooler, Coleman announced high school basketball games.
“That’s where I learned the power of words, and how they could be used to motivate and encourage, or, sadly, tear people down,” he mentions.
“But I chose to use words that would be uplifting and inspiring.”
After graduating from Florida A&M University, Coleman served as the announcer of the Bob Hayes Invitational Track Meet, held in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, until being named Executive Director two years ago after the passing of longtime meet director, his coach, mentor, and friend, Coach James Day.
Later, Coleman enrolled at Brown University in the Twin Cities to learn about the subtleties of broadcasting.
He even contemplated becoming a DJ until his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, approached him about being a sideline reporter for the team, where he would be tasked with leveraging his experience as a player to provide insights to listeners.
“Football players are more than just the number on their jersey,” Coleman says.
“Each one of them has a story, and if told in a compelling manner, that can bring a lot of value to a radio broadcast.”
For over two decades, Coleman roamed the sidelines on Sundays, bringing an intimate perspective to the airwaves, and establishing himself as a media staple in the Twin Cities.
Then, after the 2021 season, Coleman left the Minnesota Vikings radio team, but the Jacksonville native is quick to thank a multitude of figures who helped him succeed.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t give a lot of credit to the people around me, guys like Joe Senser, Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, and Ben Leber,” Coleman notes.
Coleman also had a huge following in a segment of the broadcast called “The PreGame Preach,” where he would provide an inspirational topic that tied Faith and Vikings Football to listeners right before “The Boom” with Paul Allen.
“Those guys I just mentioned, along with a host of other fantastic people at KFAN, were instrumental in me being able to be in broadcasting for as long as I was,” Coleman adds.
At present, Coleman does a lot of speaking engagements, his message often revolving around the power of teamwork and overcoming life’s inevitable obstacles.
“There is a lot of life that’s already behind me, but there’s still life in front of me,” Coleman acknowledges.
“Moving forward, I want to continue to encourage and uplift others, and be a beacon of light for those who are in dark places.”
Coleman’s charity work with YMCA of the North will help facilitate the type of impact he’s referring to.
Over the last 25 years, Coleman, along with his wife, has helped raise close to $3 million to help underserved youth in the Twin Cities with support, mentorship, tutoring, and sports programs.
“My wife and I want to empower people to be a little bit better today than they were yesterday,” Coleman begins, “and to let them know that they’re not by themselves, and that there are people who want to help and bring a message of Hope and Peace to their lives.” QS
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