Michigan State dual-athlete makes history
Michigan State dual-athlete Keon Coleman made history this past Saturday in the final seconds of the Spartans' 83-67 win over Michigan at the Breslin Center.
Coleman, a dual-sport athlete who plays football and basketball, became the first athlete to score a touchdown and a basket for an Associated Press Top 10 football and basketball team in the same calendar season since former Hesiman Trophy winner Charlie Ward did at Florida State in 1992-93.
HE CAN DO IT ALL 🗣@keoncoleman6 // #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/RcVcIHmIzT
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) January 31, 2022
With 22 seconds left on the clock, Coleman put the finishing touches on then-No. 10 Michigan State's victory over Michigan with a fastbreak layup. Back in November, Coleman scored the lone Spartan touchdown in No. 9 Michigan State's 56-7 loss at Ohio State.
Coleman's role on the basketball team will likely remain limited for the foreseeable future, but he has the high school credentials to validate his spot on the Spartans' basketball squad. Coleman averaged 33.5 points per game as a shooting guard last year as a high school senior, and earned first-team All-State in Louisiana. Coleman averaged 26 points as a junior and 23.1 as a sophomore.
The true freshman also served in a reserve role as a wide receiver for Michigan State football, finishing the year with seven catches for 50 yards. His lone receiving touchdown came against the Buckeyes. Still, there's a good chance Coleman's role in the Spartans' receiving room will increase dramatically for his sophomore campaign.
Michigan State basketball has a road game tonight at Maryland, and will hit the road again on Saturday with a trip to Rutgers.
