Age: 25
4th
season in pro football & with Patriots
College: Livingstone
Height: 6’5” Weight: 245
Prelude:
Coming out of
a small college, Coates was chosen by the Patriots in the fifth round of the
1991 NFL draft. He backed up TE Marv Cook for two seasons, catching a total of
30 passes, before breaking out in 1993 with 53 catches for 659 yards (12.4
avg.) and eight touchdowns.
1994 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 96
[4, 1st in AFC]
Most
receptions, game – 12 (for 119 yds.) at Indianapolis 11/27
Yards – 1174 [10]
Most yards,
game – 161 (on 8 catches) at Miami 9/4
Average gain
– 12.2
TDs – 7 [11,
tied with four others]
100-yard
receiving games – 5
Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 0
TDs – 0
Scoring
TDs – 7
Points – 42
Postseason: 1
G (AFC Wild Card playoff at Cleveland)
Pass
receptions – 6
Pass
receiving yards – 79
Average yards
per reception – 13.2
Pass Receiving
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Patriots went
10-6 to finish second in the AFC East while leading the NFL in passing yards
(4444) and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Lost AFC Wild Card
playoff to Cleveland Browns (20-13).
Aftermath:
The 1994
season, in which Coates set a then-NFL record for receptions by a tight end,
was the first of five straight in which he was chosen to the Pro Bowl. In ’95,
he caught 84 passes for 915 yards (10.9 avg.) and six TDs and was again a
consensus first-team All-NFL selection. Coates was part of the 1996 AFC
Championship team, with 6 receptions for 67 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl
loss to Green Bay, and continued to be a capable receiver, although his
blocking was not at the same level. With his production dropping to 32 catches
for 370 yards in ’99, he was released by the Patriots and played one last
season in 2000 as a reserve with the Baltimore Ravens. Overall, Coates caught
499 passes for 5555 yards (11.1 avg.) and 50 touchdowns, with 490 for 5471
yards and all of the TDs coming with New England. He was a consensus first-team
All-NFL selection twice, received second-team All-league or All-AFC honors
after two other seasons, and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting: Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
