INDEPENDENT LEAGUES
DAVID COLEMAN JR., 31, offensive lineman with the Jay County Panthers in Portland, IN, a semipro team, died on 5/12/12 after being laid out by a block to his chest that he never saw coming on a punt return. The game was in Springfield, OH, against the Northwest Ohio Knights, and Coleman was running downfield to cover the punt. He was knocked out and his heart stopped beating, and paramedics on the field were unable to revive him. His younger brother, Anthony Coleman, 27, a linebacker and the team’s best player, was on the sideline. The coroner later told Coleman’s family the impact he sustained was like a 60 mph car crash. Several players quit after the death, some of them after being persuaded–and even threatened–by their wives and girlfriends. The league is comprised of regular working men, and the term “semipro” is really a misnomer, since no one makes any money from playing and players have to buy their own equipment, plus pay for the refs. Coleman left behind 5 daughters by 3 different women. A big Ohio State football fan, he was buried in a Buckeyes baseball cap with an OSU T-shirt draped over his coffin. The man who blocked Coleman, also a father, wouldn’t leave his house for a long time and wouldn’t speak to the media. The team folded after one more game, a tribute to Coleman. Donations for Dave Coleman’s family may be sent to: Dave Coleman II Memorial, First Federal Bank, P.O. Box 429, Napoleon, OH 43545. Anthony Coleman says all the money will go toward Dave’s daughters.—“Games of chance”, ESPN Outside The Lines 12/19/12, Kevin Van Valkenburg.