It's been a tough year for the Washington Commanders, marked by off-field tragedies. Fans lost Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen back in February, and former offensive guard Tre' Johnson only a week later.
They say these types of events tend to come in threes, and the other shoe just dropped with the sad passing of Monte Coleman. The three-time Super Bowl champion linebacker spent 16 seasons in Washington and is a member of the team's Ring of Fame and 90 Greatest list.
Coleman was never a superstar, but his impressive longevity makes him one of Washington's most unsung all-time legends. It's time to give him his proper respect.
Monte Coleman had the type of career you just don't see in the NFL anymore
In today's fast-paced NFL, where players age quickly and movement between teams is more prevalent, it's unheard of for anyone to spend 16 years with one team, aside from maybe a kicker, punter, long snapper, or star quarterback. Let alone a linebacker with fewer than 50 career sacks, who only started 10 games in a season three times.
That was Coleman.
He was the ultimate role player, a special teams coverage ace who was always available to step up when his number was called. Coleman led the NFL in total tackles with 118 during the 1980 season, and recorded 10.5 of his 49.5 career sacks in 1986. He was productive all the way until the end, registering a six-sack, two-interception campaign at age 36 in 1993.
All in all, Coleman's mark of 215 career games played in a Washington uniform ranks only second behind Darrell Green. He was a starter on defense during the team's run to Super Bowl XXII, a game in which he recorded half a sack of Denver Broncos star John Elway. He is fourth on the Commanders' all-time sack leaders list, trailing only Ryan Kerrigan, Dexter Manley, and Charles Mann.
The most impressive part is that Coleman did all of this as an 11th-round draft pick out of Central Arkansas. He was the No. 289 overall selection in 1979, yet he played his way onto the squad as a rookie and never looked back.
Coleman's career is a story of perseverance and loyalty through highs and lows, and ultimately a fascinating legacy that few others can compare to. If he came into the league today, he'd have gotten paid by someone else after four seasons. But back in his time, maintaining a brand identity with roster continuity was actually worth something.
For someone who is never mentioned among the top tier of all-time Washington greats, Coleman was the heart and soul through the entirety of the franchise's proudest era.
Rest in peace, Monte Coleman.
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