Keon Coleman’s basketball mixtape shows the Buffalo Bills have an athletic marvel

The city of Buffalo was once home to a professional basketball franchise: the NBA Braves, who left the shores of Lake Erie for those of the Pacific Ocean in 1978 to become the San Diego Clippers. The historically uncompetitive team moved 120 miles north into the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984, still competing today in the greater Los Angeles area as the Los Angeles Clippers.

Buffalo never flirted with professional basketball again, with the Clippers’ occasional use of Braves jerseys being the closest way contemporary Western New Yorkers have come to seeing their region represented in the NBA.

But the Braves’ departure in the late 1970s perhaps stings more today than when it occurred.

For what?

This potentially robbed the Buffalo faithful of a dual-sport superstar.

The Buffalo Bills selected Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, adding a big jump ball specialist to a depleted receiving corps; Coleman had 50 receptions for 658 receptions and 11 touchdowns in Tallahassee last season.

Related: How rookie WR Keon Coleman is learning the Bills’ ‘different’ offensive playbook

Before scoring touchdowns in North Florida, Coleman was dunking in the Acadiana area of ​​Louisiana. Before devoting himself fully to football, he was one of the best high school basketball players in “Cajun Country”, averaging 26.0 points per game for the Opelousas Catholic Vikings as a junior.

Three steps back, 360° dunks, decisive blocks: Coleman could do it all. His high school mixtape is not only endlessly entertaining, but it also gives Buffalo fans a glimpse into the type of athlete who will soon be joining their receiving corps; Former NFL quarterback and fellow Louisiana native Robert Griffin III recently shared Coleman’s high school highlights on his X account.

Coleman’s dominance in high school, both on the football field and hardwood fields, allowed him to be recruited as a dual-sport athlete; he eventually committed to Michigan State, where he would play football under Mel Tucker and basketball under legendary college basketball coach Tom Izzo. He caught 65 passes for 848 yards and eight touchdowns during his two seasons with the Spartans football team, appearing in six games for the university’s basketball program as a freshman.

Coleman would eventually transfer to Florida State, where he would prioritize and focus on football. However, he relied on his basketball prowess to make an immediate impact on his new teammates; Popular NFL content creator Brett Kollmann shared a story on X about Coleman getting familiar with his fellow Seminoles by literally immersing them in a pickup game.

Although Buffalo fans will likely never see Coleman on the hardwood, they will see the mentality with which he plays the sport, as it is reflected in the way he carries himself on the field. During a recent appearance on the RG3 and the Ones podcast, Coleman explained how the “attack the ball” mentality he plays with as a jump-ball receiver stems from his basketball background.

“I think when they ask about the mindset when the ball is in the air, it’s the same thing,” Coleman said. “Once I get into basketball, I pass out. I don’t think there are many places on the field, if I take off I won’t reach the rim. It’s the same mindset in football, it’s just that I have more equipment. I hit the ground, I tell myself, I’m not tripping, everything will be fine. Get up and keep going.

“I think that’s where mindset comes in. You must be a different dog. To play on the upcoming Nike circuit and all that, you have to be a dog. They have to rely on you to make those plays that you have to make when all eyes are on you. »