His job isn’t to make tackles. His job isn’t to sack the quarterback. His job isn’t to dominate the statistics sheet.
His job is to be a stone wall. His job is to take on double teams and stand strong.
That’s what Oregon outside linebacker Tyson Coleman does, and it’s just the way he likes it.
“It’s cool and all. I don’t get a lot of glory because I’m forcing things back inside, but it helps the team, so it works,” Coleman said. “I don’t want all that attention anyways, you can save that for everyone else.”
Coleman’s statline throughout his three-year career is unimpressive. He has recorded 99 tackles and 11 tackle for loss. But, he’s played 39 of a possible 40 games at outside linebacker. He’s currently the third most played member of the Oregon roster, something that carries weight when he speaks.
“He’s got the respect from everybody because it’s something he’s worked to earn it,” defensive coordinator Don Pellum said.
In his five years with Oregon football, the former three-star recruit has had his fair share of ups and downs on and off the field.
“I’ve been in the doghouse and have had to fight to prove my way out,” Coleman said. “When I came here, I didn’t know anything about defense, but schematically I’ve learned so much and it allows me to play a lot faster.”
Not only did he have to learn how to be a man on the field, he had to learn how to be one off the field. He had to learn to embrace the role of being an Oregonian and a Duck, something he now honors with a tattoo on his right forearm.
“It’s an honor to be from Oregon and playing on this team. There aren’t many of us, so that makes it special,” Coleman said. “There’s so much support from the people in the state because I’m from here also — it’s good to play in front of them.”
Growing up, Coleman has found a home as an outside linebacker in the Ducks’ 3-4 defense. With the loss of expected NFL draft picks Arik Armstead, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Erick Dargan and Tony Washington, Coleman and the linebacking crew are expected to be the star of the defense.
“The best thing I’ve seen out of the linebacking corp has been the leadership — Tyson has really stepped up,” Pellum said. “We have four seniors, so our expectations are to push past last year.”
Around 10:45 a.m. on May 2, Tyson Coleman will run out of the tunnel and onto Herb Brooks Field in Autzen Stadium. Although it will be the last spring game of Coleman’s career, it’s just the beginning of what he hopes to be a memorable final season.
“This is it for me, my last go-around,” Coleman said. “It’s been a long and crazy journey to get here, but man am I excited for this — it’s officially go time.”
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter: @Ryan_Kostecka
 
 

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Taylor Wilder

Oregon Ducks linebacker Tyson Coleman (33) wraps his arms around California Golden Bears quarterback Luke Rubenzer (8) while tackling him during the first quarter of the game. (Taylor Wilder/Emerald)