By Craig Sanders
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Fred Coleman wants to be a big-time college wide receiver. After all, he comes from Texas, the state where everything is big Ÿ big fields, big football programs, big recruits.
"I want to make a very big impact, a Keyshawn Johnson-type impact," Coleman said. "I'm trying to get respect. I don't want people saying, 'Oh, he played good that week.' I want people to say, 'He did everything Ÿ he blocked well, he ran his routes well and he caught the ball well.' I want to be the total receiver."
"Coleman is a fine athlete with great body control. His jumping and timing are superb," Washington head coach Jim Lambright said. "He can become an outstanding player, a potential NFL player if he continues to work hard."
As a track star and football player in high school, Coleman impressed many of the nation's top colleges enough to give him a shot at the next level. Coleman left his hometown of Tyler, Texas, in 1993 for the Great Northwest to play wideout for the Washington Huskies. Coleman joined his aunt, who lives in Tacoma, Wash., leaving his family and his first love, basketball, behind him.
"I basically wanted to get away from Texas," Coleman said. "I didn't want to play in the Southwest Conference. I think it's a pretty sorry conference. I had fun up here (in Seattle) and thought it was a good place for me."
As a Husky, Coleman slipped quietly into the program, redshirting his freshman year in '93. He did make a good impression, however, finishing the spring as the backup to fellow flanker Dave Janoski.
Coleman jumped into the lineup in '94 and appeared in all 11 games, including a start in Washington's 38-20 victory over Miami, a game that snapped the Hurricanes' NCAA record 58-game home winning streak.
Coleman finished the season with only four receptions for 19 yards, a meager 4.8 yards-per-reception average. It was a long way from Texas and his senior year in high school, when he had 61 receptions, 1,244 yards and 14 touchdowns. Coleman may have felt a little shackled as a reserve, but he said he never felt down. For him, being promoted from a reserve to a starter was like night and day.
"I'm not the kind of guy who likes to be on the sideline watching," Coleman said. "To be a starter means that you are a part of the gameplan, not just in (the game) once in a while waiting your turn. I didn't even want to watch college football when I knew I could be out there playing."
Signs of Coleman's potential began to show in spring practice this year. The speedster quickly took to his new role, demonstrating an increased level of maturity. An 80-yard reception during a scrimmage seemed to propel him into the starting spot.
"Last spring he was one of our most improved players," Lambright said. "He is taking a much stronger role on this team and trying to learn more quickly in practice. He is beginning to transfer that into a leadership role."
"When you have receivers with speed, people have to respect that," Coleman said. "It makes it a different challenge to the defense and changes the game a little bit."
In six games this season Coleman has already caught 15 balls for 279 yards, including a long of 42 yards. With three touchdowns and an average of 18.6 yards per reception, Coleman and fellow starter Janoski (22 receptions, 301 yards, one touchdown) have given Washington a pair of speedy deep threats that the team had been lacking. Coleman's speed is also being utilized in the kicking game, as he has returned six kickoffs for 135 yards, a 22.5-yard average.
The Huskies have jumped out to a 3-0 conference record and a 4-2 record overall. While not quite a conference star, Coleman plans to make an impact the rest of the season.
"We have to start with Arizona and go from there," Coleman said. "I think we are very much in the conference race. The next few games will be critical, and I plan to be a part of the outcome."