The first UCA athlete to make it to the NFL was Monte Coleman in 1979. He played in four Super Bowls and is now coaching the football team at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Coleman’s injuries when he was young made his chances of playing football slim. Coleman played football only his senior year of high school and came to UCA as a walk on. Like many athletes, he was not highly recruited.

Coleman came to UCA to play with his brother Sam Coleman, who was UCA’s quarterback at the time.

For his first three years, he played safety and then switched to linebacker his senior year.

Former UCA football coach Ken Stephens said: “Monte was a good student, he went to class and made good grades. He was a model athlete and a great leader on the team.”

During college Coleman was a respectable student and a strong Christian, Stephens said.

“His personality was so great that he was a person you could trust and believe in. With him being a Christian he was a great example and influence to his fellow teammates,” Stephens said.

Monte Coleman attended UCA from 1975-1978. In 1979, Coleman was drafted by the NFL’s Washington Redskins in the 11th round.

Sports Information Director Steve East said: “Since he was the first player from UCA to make it to the pros, it was quite an honor not only for him but UCA also.”

Coleman played professional football into the 1990s. In playing 217 games, he is second in number of games to NFL hall-of-famer Darrell Green.

Coleman played in four Super Bowls, winning three: Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI.

“With Coleman, winning so many Super Bowls he is still a humble guy. He is the nicest person you will ever meet,” East said.

In 1994, Coleman retired from the NFL after 16 seasons. He ended with 1,006 tackles and 56.6 sacks.

Stephens said, “I knew during his junior year that Monte was a special player that could go all the way. Senior scouts came and watched him play and I could see that his future would be bright.”

Through out the years, Coleman has received numerous awards and recognitions.

He was a recipient of the All-Madden Team in 1993 and was inducted to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Being his coach, I was very proud of all of his accomplishments. Back in that time, UCA was a small school, so not many athletes made it as far as Monte,” Stephens said.

In 2003, Coleman was named one of the 70 greatest Redskins of all time.