Ben Coates

[edit] Biography

Ben "Winter" Coates is a former tight end for the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens. Coates didn't play football until his senior year of high school, and was a multi-sport player at Livingstone College. As a gridiron player at Livingstone, he broke nearly all meaningful records at the school, but due to his split-sport performances, against weak competition, for a non-notable school, he received little notice outside of the CIAA.

Considered an out-of-nowhere prospect, Coates was picked in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. His first two years with the Patriots were fairly uneventful, but this changed with the 1993 arrival of quarterback Drew Bledsoe and legendary head coach Bill Parcells to the Patriots franchise. Parcells, known for his reliance on tight ends, frequently used then-rookie quarterback Bledsoe on passes to Coates, and the tight end led the Patriots in receptions in 1993.

In 1994, his breakout year, he caught 96 passes, then most ever for a tight end (this record later was broken by Tony Gonzalez in 2004), for 1,174 yards receiving (The only time in his career he would gain 1,000 yards in a receiving season) and appeared in his first Pro Bowl. He would appear in the next four, as well, and assist New England to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. His team lost the game 35-21, but he had a good performance in it, leading the Patriots in receiving with 6 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. From 1995 to 1998, he caught 84,62,66 and 67 passes in those 4 seasons.

After the 1999 season, Coates was released by the Patriots, and afterwards played for the Baltimore Ravens, where he climbed the all-time receiving charts, winning Super Bowl XXXV in the process. When Coates was released by the Ravens in the following year, he decided to retire, having become the fourth all-time leading receiver at tight end in NFL history, behind Ozzie Newsome, Shannon Sharpe, and Kellen Winslow. Coates played in 158 games with 499 receptions for 5,555 yards and 50 touchdowns.

After retiring, Coates returned to Livingstone College, where he was head coach, and also coached in NFL Europe. In March 2005, Coates was named the tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns, replacing Rob Chudzinski.

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