Itta Bena, Miss. --- Former Delta Devils’s offensive tackle Thaddeus Coleman has signed a free agent contract with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
The former tight end changed positions following his freshman season when the coaching staff felt it best to shift him to the offensive line. In two seasons as a starter at left tackle, he went from a slow-footed, mediocre pass catcher into one of the most dominating offensive linemen in the small college ranks.
Coleman redshirted in 2003 at MVSU, appearing in six games, with three starts at tight end in 2004. He did not catch any passes, but his blocking helped in his move the following season to the offensive front wall.
In 2005, Coleman appeared in six games as a key reserve at left and right tackle, seeing most of his action vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Paul Quinn College. He suffered a left knee medial collateral sprain vs. Southern University, missing two games and later re-injured his knee vs. Texas Southern, sitting out two more games.
The 2006 season brought a new coaching staff and a grand opportunity for Coleman to start. He took over left tackle duties, earning All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first-team honors, as he dominated the action in the trenches. The offense managed just 300.6 yards per game, but the left tackle produced 83 knockdowns and eight touchdown-resulting blocks.
As a senior, Coleman was one of the few bright spots on an offensive unit that featured eight freshmen or first-time starters in the lineup. The team struggled to average 260.9 yards per game, but the left tackle was again chosen to the All-SWAC first-team, as he delivered nine touchdown-resulting blocks for a unit that scored only 22 times. He led the SWAC blockers with 103 knockdowns.
Parts of this release courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com
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