Rookie Keon Coleman playfully embraces Buffalo while showing a serious side to fill the receiver role

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Wide-eyed, engaging and athletic, Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman has a lot to offer, from tips on when to land the best deals on winter coats or using his slim 6-foot-4 frame and long, muscular arms to catch balls thrown over his head or behind him.

It’s been that way since April, when Coleman arrived in Buffalo full of wonder and excitement as he gave a glimpse of his cheerful personality a day after the Bills drafted the Florida State player 33rd overall.

Sitting at the podium, wearing what has now become the famous yellow winter coat he purchased on sale at Macy’s in the spring, Coleman expressed his love for Buffalo wings, eyed cookies from a snack bar -neighboring bar before tasting one and reflected on the fact that he had just filmed. a promotional video inside Bills stadium, where he scored three touchdowns.

Only three?

“Hey, it was 30 seconds,” Coleman said, smiling. “It’s a record. No one has done this one yet.

Don’t be fooled by this 21-year-old’s outgoing nature.

Although Coleman’s arrival in Western New York has captured the imagination of Bills fans, including that of a 10-year-old wearing the youngster’s handmade friendship bracelets, there has a serious side to the player being counted on to fill a critical role at a retooled receiver position following the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

“I’m aware of it,” Coleman said, referring to the buzz he created.

“The hype can be there as much as it wants. But I still have to play on the pitch,” he added in early May. “I want to contribute to victories, so we have to win to make our fans happy. A jacket won’t be enough.

Over the next few weeks, Coleman showed glimpses of his potential, following an All-ACC junior season in which he led the Seminoles with 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns. He spent his first two college seasons at Michigan State, where he totaled 65 catches for 848 yards and eight touchdowns.

Although he is not considered to have elite speed, Coleman rushes down the field to stay in bounds while catching Josh Allen’s quick putbacks along the sideline. On Thursday, he celebrated a touchdown by happily throwing the ball.

On Wednesday, facing cornerback Rasul Douglas, Coleman outran the veteran starter and used his big body to shield the defender while getting a pass thrown behind him.

“He’s young. He’s always trying to learn. I think what helps him the most is just learning,” Douglas said of Coleman. “And he’s a cool guy outside of it. of the field. He’s a joker. He’s fun.

What Douglas may not know after skipping Buffalo’s voluntary workouts is the depth of Coleman’s football sense.

Coleman already delved into the Bills’ past by befriending Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed.

“I was taught to always respect those who came before you,” Coleman said.

When it comes to football IQ, Coleman is proud of how in college he learned to pore over game film and literally draw plays on his own. The approach was taught to him during his first season by former NFL and Spartans wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins.

“I didn’t start playing receiver until I got to college,” said Coleman, a high school quarterback in Louisiana who chose football over basketball. “Coach Hawkins put me in a room and said, ‘This is the ability you have if you lock in and do what you’re supposed to do.’ And ever since, that’s been my mindset.”

Coleman’s willingness to learn stood out to Bills general manager Brandon Beane during the pre-draft scouting process. As much as Beane enjoyed hearing Coleman’s voice from across the cafeteria during the player’s visit to Buffalo, he also witnessed an intensity behind the smile.

“He’s done a good job so far of knowing what he doesn’t know, surrounding himself with people who will tell him the truth, not what he wants to hear. And that’s the sign of a guy who knows he’s got work to do,” Beane told the Associated Press this week.

“He didn’t understand everything. And everything will not be perfect,” he added. “But he works hard. He is competitive. And he probably thinks he should have been the No. 1 receiver drafted.

Coleman was the eighth receiver selected and after Buffalo traded down the order twice. The Bills moved up from 28th, where Kansas City selected Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, then traded up a spot from 32nd, where Carolina selected South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette.

Beane held on to open the second round, with Coleman still available and the receiver being Buffalo’s most pressing need.

Coleman accepts the challenge of expectations from a team that returns just one receiver — Khalil Shakir — who caught a pass from Allen.

“I don’t think it’s something to fill,” Coleman said, referring to the shoes he’s being asked to fill. “I come here to be myself, work for everything I’m going to get and hopefully we’re going to win a few games. That’s all I have to say about it.

Coleman’s serious side eventually gave way to his extroverted nature.

“That’s exactly who I am,” he said. “I don’t play this game crazy and serious all the time. We need to be able to relax, have fun and be ourselves.

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This story has been corrected to reflect Rasul Douglas’ position as cornerback.

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John Wawrow, Associated Press