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| New York Jets — No. 87 | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Date of Birth: December 29 1977 | |
| Place of Birth: Jacksonville, Florida | |
| Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | Weight: 193 lb (88 kg) |
| National Football League Debut | |
|---|---|
| 2000 for the New York Jets | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
| Career History | |
| College: Florida State | |
| NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 3 / Pick: 78 | |
Teams:
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Laveranues Coles (pronounced /la-VERN-ee-us/) (born December 29, 1977 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American football wide receiver who was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Florida State University.
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High school career
While attending Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida, Coles played Football, Basketball, and ran track. In football, he rushed for nearly 5,000 yards in his career, was named to the Blue Chip Dream Team, and was a first team Class 4A All-State selection. In basketball, he was a member of a state championship team as a senior. In track, he recorded a time of 10.6 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 21.8 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Due to a scandal at Florida State which resulted in Coles's dismissal from the team, he often refers to his high school when introducing himself on Monday Night Football.
College
Dillard's department store incident
On September 29 1999, during his senior season at Florida State, Coles and teammate Peter Warrick went to a Tallahassee, Florida Dillard's department store and, with the aid of a cashier with whom the pair were friendly, purchased $412.38 worth of clothing and charged only $21.40—a discount so large that it is legally considered shoplifting under Florida law. An off-duty officer saw what happened through a surveillance camera, according to police. Coles, Warrick, and the clerk, Rachel Myrtil, were arrested for grand theft. On October 22, Coles pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petty theft and was dismissed from the team.[1] At that year's rivalry game at Florida, Gators fans brought Dillard's bags to Florida Field to mock the team. Florida State won the game, and Seminole fans returned the mocking by requesting the bags as souveniors. Coles childhood nickname was "Trouble",[2] and seemingly for good reason: In addition to the Dillard's debacle, Coles also was arrested in 1998 for simple battery. He was suspended for the Seminoles' 1999 season opener versus Louisiana Tech for academic reasons, and was discovered to have accepted a plane ticket from a sports agent's representative in 1999.[2]
Professional career
Coles's first career touchdown catch came in the Jets' "Monday Night Miracle" victory against the Miami Dolphins on October 23, 2000. After a spectacular 2002 season, Coles signed with the Washington Redskins in the 2002 offseason and admitted that he left the Jets because the Redskins offered him more money. He made the Pro Bowl for the Redskins in 2003. At the end of the 2004 season, Coles left the Redskins because of a lack of a deep passing game from Joe Gibbs's conservative 2004-2005 offense. He was traded back to the Jets in 2005 for Santana Moss. After a disappointing season in 2005, Coles enjoyed a rebirth in 2006, directly due to the good health of his friend and favorite quarterback, Chad Pennington. On December 26, 2005 he caught the last touchdown in Monday Night Football's last game on ABC.
Personal
In September of 2005, Coles disclosed in a New York Times interview that he was molested by his stepfather between the ages of 10 to 13. Eventually the court became involved and football was a refuge for him throughout his pain. Coles stated that he came forward because "Even if it's one kid who I can touch, who my story gives him the strength to come out and say something, I feel like it's worth it." On October 18, 2005, his story was aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Coles ran a 4.22 40 time in the NFL combine. He has two sons, Trilion and Landon. He also has a daughter, Taylor.
External links
References
- ^ Concha, Joe (2004-03-08). Top bizarre sports scandals of all-time. NBC Sports. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
- ^ a b Prisco, Pete (2000-03-05). The only trouble Coles wants to cause is for Jaguars opponents. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
