The Livingstone football team now features a two-way player whose name is familiar around the Blue Bears program.
Ben Coates III, the son of Livingstone legend and Black College Football Hall of Famer Ben Coates, will be playing defensive end and tight end this fall at the school his dad starred at nearly four decades ago.
Because of that name, particularly that last name, there was admittedly some internal pressure to follow in his footsteps, explained Coates III at CIAA Media Day on Thursday. However, Coates III said he is up to the task of performing up to some pretty lofty expectations.
“I’m up for the challenge,” said Coates III. “I come in here with a lot of weight on my shoulders. I know my dad was that man.”
Just what kind of standard did the elder Coates set while at Livingstone?
The tight end was a three-year letterman who amassed 103 receptions for 1,268 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. The South Carolina native was then drafted in the fifth round by the New England Patriots in the 1991 NFL Draft. He went on to play 158 NFL games, recording 499 receptions, 5,555 receiving yards, and 50 touchdowns.
A Super Bowl winner with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000, Coates also was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was later inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, the CIAA Hall of Fame, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Coates even coached at Livingstone after his playing days ended.
Those are pretty big shoes to fill for Coates III, but the Georgia Military College transfer is taking it all in stride.
“For me, I like the challenge,” he said of carrying on the Coates legacy at Livingstone. “I’m ready for it, and I’m going to be better for it.”
