Canadian Football History

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In the two weeks since he was drafted, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman has generated plenty of buzz off the field.

His introductory news conference -- which began with a discussion about the proper time to buy a coat and finished with him eating a cookie -- was splashed across social media. His first day exploring the Bills' facility, where he caught imaginary touchdowns in Highmark Stadium, stood out among the 2024 NFL draft picks.

Putting on his uniform and helmet ahead of the team's rookie minicamp, which began Friday, led to a reality check for Coleman.

"A bunch of jitters," Coleman said. "I called my brother. You know, it's exciting. The moment gets downplayed because the process is so long, but I think once I grabbed the helmet and put it on, it kind of shook me back to real life, like this is reality now."

The No. 33 overall pick from Florida State has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to his personality and the turnover of the Bills' roster over the offseason, including major departures from the wide receiver room, with Gabe Davis signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Stefon Diggs being traded to the Houston Texans.

Coleman, who turns 21 on May 17, said that with practices beginning, his focus is on the field.

"I'm aware of it. But like I said earlier, I'm happy to keep the main thing the main thing and get back to playing ball," Coleman said. "So, the hype can be there all it wants but I still have to make plays on the field. And I want to help contribute to win, so we got to win to make our fans happy. A jacket ain't going to get that done."

There has been quite an early fan response to Coleman, with the receiver noting that the most surprising reaction to him was receiving Chips Ahoy! cookies in a box at his locker that fans mailed to the Bills' facility.

"I'll eat them," Coleman said, "but I just wasn't expecting cookies at my locker. And it was in a box, box. I was like what could this box be. So, I opened it up and it was like a big box, so it caught me off guard."

One notable connection Coleman made himself came when he reached out to Hall of Famer and former Bills wide receiver Andre Reed. Coleman said he was taught to "respect those that stepped before you," and thought Reed could be a great resource as a potential mentor.

Reed posted on X about the interaction last week, writing that Coleman is the first young Bills wide receiver to reach out in a while. Coleman noted that Reed told him to "enjoy the process, take in all you can take in and put your head down and work."

"It's the same thing as I wasn't born when [Michael] Jordan was playing, but I still know who he is," Coleman said. "So, it's just wanting to know about football. You have to know about the guys who came before you. So that's a big thing."

On Friday, Coleman got the first chance to be on the field as a Bill.

Buffalo has two quarterbacks trying out during rookie minicamp -- former Indianapolis Colts fourth-round pick Jacob Eason and Gunnar Watson from Troy -- and Coleman's first practice was spent catching passes where he looked comfortable grabbing almost everything that came his way.

He also got some one-on-one time with wide receivers coach Adam Henry. Coleman spent a special teams period working with Henry on the side, including talking through routes.

Coleman described Henry as "very hands-on" after practice and said they have gotten together on Zoom over the past week as the rookie receiver learns the playbook. Finally putting that work to use on the field was a big moment for the receiver with the draft process behind him.

"That's probably the best feeling in the world," Coleman said. "... I'm trying to get better on the football field, learn the playbook and impact the team and try to help [the team] win. That's really what I'm focused on, what I really care about, so it's great finally getting back to it."