The Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver contacted Hall of Famer Andre Reed shortly after being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. This is what he learned.
For individuals who choose to go from Buffalo, NY to Canton, OH, the journey is long, taxing, and difficult. It is, of course, known locally as the I-90; the trip takes around four hours in good traffic and mostly runs along the not-so-scenic shoreline of Lake Erie.
This highway, however, is not the route that Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman wishes to travel. He wants to take the more affluent path, which is less travelled and more difficult to pursue. He wants to follow the road that leads to George Halas Drive and ends with the unveiling of his bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It will take several years, hundreds of receptions, and thousands of yards to realise, but it is hardly an uncharted territory. Several Hall of Fame wide receivers have worn the classic charging Buffalo helmet during their NFL careers, with Andre Reed being possibly the most well-known among Western New York fans. During his 15 seasons at Orchard Park, the wideout caught 941 catches for 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns, and he presently leads the organisation in all three of these categories by a significant margin. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
It would not be wrong to refer to Reed as the Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver. He spent over two decades with the team. He’s a Hall of Famer who continues to lead the team in all major receiving statistics. He remains a communal icon. If there was ever a career that a young Buffalo wideout could look up to, it would be his.
That’s why Coleman made an easy decision to contact Reed shortly after Buffalo selected him with the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Reed tweeted about Coleman’s proactive move the night after his selection, saying that the rookie’s efforts demonstrate that he “respects those who came before him” and that “he’s not playing around.”
@keoncoleman6 already texted me about how to make major moves in #Buffalo. He’s not playing around . He respects those who came before him. Sign of a guy that’s all in , humble-ready to work. Balls in the air he goes and gets it. Open like 7eleven . 💯👍🏾👍🏾 #billsmafia #Nfldraft pic.twitter.com/igeOiYDv3R
— Andre Reed (@Andre_Reed83) April 28, 2024
Coleman saw the option as both a way to become acquainted with organisational monarchy and a chance to learn something new. During a recent interview on the RG3 and The Ones podcast, the former Florida State Seminole emphasised the importance of his conversation with Reed.
“He’s in the select group of where I’m trying to be, and he played for the same organisation,” Coleman went on to say. “I’m really just paying my respects but also trying to get a nugget here and there to learn how to get where he’s at.”
Coleman kept the majority of the conversation’s specifics to himself, but he did disclose one of his most important takeaways: the significance of a wideout’s relationship with his signal-caller.
“We talked about, you have to get real close to your quarterback,” Coleman went on to say. “There has to be an actual relationship there. Not only do you want to play, but you must also have a genuine personal connection with him since that relationship extends beyond the field and benefits both on and off it. It’s like, why wouldn’t you want to have a sibling on whom you can rely so completely that you close your eyes, he closes his eyes, he places the ball somewhere, and you’ll be there? “That is probably the best feeling in the world.”
Reed has experience developing long-term relationships with his quarterbacks, having kept a close bond with Jim Kelly throughout his playing career and subsequent retirement. He once remarked that he “[has a] gold jacket because of” Kelly, the strength of their bond is arguably best demonstrated by the passer’s induction into Reed’s Hall of Fame. Kelly, who was battling cancer at the time, went on stage with Reed in Canton, giving him one more pass.
Coleman’s connection with current Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is unlikely to be as fairy tale-like as Reed and Kelly’s—and how could it be?But it is one that he is eager to develop. Allen, who gave Coleman his permission throughout the predraft process, has already reached out to his new weapon, so things are off to a good start.
“That’s a dream come true,” Coleman added. “That’s going to boost our relationship instantly. We both enjoy playing ball, and we want to win now, so we’ll do whatever it takes.”
Coleman, who caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns in Tallahassee last season, will have plenty of opportunities to build a rapport with Allen early in his career, as he is expected to contribute immediately to a Buffalo receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason.