Michigan State Football: Top 50 players of all time

Oct 24, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Spartan Stadium during the 2nd half of a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

8. Don Coleman

Quite possibly the “Rudy” of the 1949-51 Michigan State football teams, Don Coleman was one of the most unique players to ever come through the program. These days, what if I told you a guy who weight under 180 pounds played offensive tackle at the collegiate level and played it better than anyone out there? You probably would have called me crazy.

Sure, Coleman likely would have been forced to play a position other than offensive tackle if he was around today, but the athletic, intense 179-pound machine was a force to be reckoned with despite his slight frame.

Not many guys his size wanted to go up against the bigger football players on the field, but Coleman found it to be his bread and butter. He loved hitting the guys who looked to be about one and a half times his size.

Faster than many backs during the time and more intense than a wealth of offensive and defensive linemen, Coleman was one of the greatest to play the offensive tackle position in school history and might be one of the best during his time. He was Michigan State’s first unanimous All-American as well as the first African American to be named All-American in school history.

Coleman could play with the big boys and even show them up.

Next: 7. Javon Ringer