Sept. 7, 2006

Editor's Note: This feature ran in the Sept. 9 (Ole Miss) game program.

by Brennan Stebbins, MU Media Relations Student Assistant

Ask Brandon Coleman what he wants to accomplish this year in his fifth and final season at Missouri and the senior answers with a smile.

"I've got a whole bunch of goals," he replies, with a grin on his face that says it all. "Number one, to get out here on this field and show everybody what I've got; show everybody that I can play."

As Missouri's number two quarterback on the depth chart, Coleman wants to prove he can lead the Tigers at a high level, make plays and put his team in a position to win. With his personality, there's little doubt he can.

"He's a great competitor and has a good work ethic," Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel said. "He's got a great attitude, and he's got all the qualities that you want in a quarterback or anybody."

One of 17 seniors on this season's squad, Coleman comes from Miami, Fla., where he earned All-County honors twice as quarterback of North Miami High and was ranked as one of the top-40 athletes in the nation. He passed for over 1,400 yards his senior season on the way to 10 passing touchdowns.

"High school was a lot of fun," Coleman said. "It just seemed like everything was easy in high school. When I got to college everything was a lot faster and a lot harder to do because everybody's All-County and All-State, and All-American, and in high school some people on your team aren't that good but here everybody's good so you've got to be ready to play."

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"College is just so much more challenging," Coleman added, "but I like the challenge of college and I just really enjoy myself."

After his high school career was finished, Coleman received offers from North Carolina State, Kentucky, Central Florida, South Florida, Florida Atlantic and a few others, but his desire to play quarterback at a big school led him to Missouri.

"I wanted to play quarterback at a Division-I school at a big-time program and a program that I thought was going somewhere, and I think that's what we're doing right now at Mizzou."

Coleman has put up a pair of impressive performances under center in the past two spring football games, completing 24 passes for a total of 227 yards and two touchdowns. How much playing time that will lead to this season remains to be seen, but Pinkel has been impressed with Coleman's ability.

"We're certainly looking at that, we're going to make a decision and go from there," Pinkel said. "He's improved, he's become a much better player. It's a very difficult position but he's really a student of the game, he works very hard at it."

Coleman recorded his first collegiate touchdown pass in 2004 when he connected with Will Franklin in a game against Ball State.

"Oh man, that was the best day of my life," he said. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me, it was great. It's an indescribable feeling."

Coleman recalled stepping into the huddle and telling everyone the play.

"That was when Will was a freshman and me and Will had connected on a couple passes earlier in the year and I just told him, `Will, man, I'm going to throw it to you, you've got to beat them, you've got to beat them,' and he was like, `man I've got you, I got you.' He went out there and beat them, it was an easy throw, he was wide open and he made the first score, it was great."

With his senior season finally on hand, Coleman has emerged as a great leader on the team, and Pinkel described his leadership as outstanding.

"In any quarterback, what we look for is great leadership, that's number one, and he's been an example," Pinkel said. "That guy's got the football in his hands all the time so he better be of the highest character and quality as a person. He's been a leader."

"He's into it," Pinkel added. "This is important to him and he wants Mizzou to do well, whether he's in the ballgame or not."

Missouri's starting quarterback, sophomore Chase Daniel, had only positive things to say about his senior leader.

"B.C.'s been there for me since I got here," he said, "we've always had a thing. We've always clicked. He's a great guy."

Despite competing for the same position, Daniel has looked up to Coleman during his two years on the team, and has been able to learn from him.

"His leadership and what he brings to the table every single day, and what it takes to be a great practice player," Daniel said Coleman has taught him. "We've always been good game players, but I think he's one of the better practice players on the team."

"Brandon's been like a big brother to me," he added. "He was my big brother last year in camp and he taught me the ropes last year."

Spending five years at Missouri has also provided Coleman with the opportunity to make a lot of friends, both seniors and underclassmen on the team, as well as leave his impact on the younger players.

"Man, I think I've had a big impact on these little dudes," Coleman said with a big smile. "A lot of these guys are my friends. Like the seniors feel like they're just my brothers, and everybody else just seems like they're my little brother."

"I just hope that I've helped them (younger players) with certain situations that I've gone through if they have to go through the same situations. Just normal stuff here and there, with everything from girls to how to handle yourself in public to everything. Just stuff like that, not just football."

Does he have any regrets?

"No I don't have no regrets," he says. "I've appreciated everything that's happened at Missouri. I love Missouri and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

While Coleman has influenced and taught younger members of the team, he himself has learned a lot about living his life from his involvement with the Missouri football team.

Coach Pinkel has been once source of Coleman's learning.

"A lot of stuff about accountability, about being a man," Coleman said. "I think that being under coach (Pinkel) I learned stuff from not making excuses about everything, just being accountable to myself, my family, and my team."

Before the final game of the 2005 season, a 38-31 victory over South Carolina in the Independence Bowl, Coleman even experimented at wide receiver.

Afterwards, Pinkel said he gave Coleman the choice of staying at wide receiver or going back to quarterback.

"I gave him the choice afterwards and he said, `nah, I'd rather go back to quarterback,' and I didn't ask him why or anything," Pinkel said. "He's a good athlete. Could he play wide receiver? Very possibly, but that's something that was his choice and I want players to play and be where they want to be."

"He's just been great to have on this team and we want him to have a great senior year," Pinkel added.

Coming off 2005's 7-5 campaign, Coleman underwent surgery on his right knee to clean up after a previous injury. He said his knee is fine now, and he's ready to perform, but to make himself better this season he has focused on his fundamentals.

"Really, really focused on my fundamentals," he said. "That's been a real big deal to our team this year. We're just trying to make sure our fundamentals are good because bad fundamentals kill you."

Coleman, who is studying sociology, will be missed around Columbia when he finishes school this year. In addition to playing football, he's active in a number of community projects, something that gives him a chance to reach out to his younger fans.

"They just ask us if we want to participate in anything around the city and we just volunteer for it," he said. "I've been doing that since my freshman year. Reading to kids and going to parks and talking to kids, just doing all that kind of stuff."

"I think it's great," Coleman added. "I think that any time you have the opportunity to give back something you have been given or to put yourself in a position where kids look up to you it's just real fulfilling. You feel good, like you're doing something."