Undrafted Rookie From West Virginia Who Never Played High School Football Makes It to Browns’ 53-Man Roster

Michael Coats Jr. did not play football at high school.

Undrafted Rookie From West Virginia Who Never Played High School Football Makes It to Browns’ 53-Man Roster

Michael Coats Jr. (Image via CBS Sports)

The Cleveland Browns discovered another gem at cornerback, 25-year-old Michael Coats Jr. Coats signed an undrafted rookie contract with the Browns in May and earned an initial 53-man roster spot.

Several UDFA’s were retained by teams across the league, so what’s so special about Coats? According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Coats never played football in high school.

Cornerback Michael Coats, who never played high school football and was an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, made the Browns’ 53-man roster today.

Schefter tweeted

CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala elaborated further on Coats’s past.

Forget never playing in HS. Michael Coats was working at an arcade and only tried out for a community college football team because he saw an online flyer. He’s an incredibly versatile player.

Kinkhabwala wrote on Twitter
RELATED
Ex-Cardinals QB Recalls How He Screwed Up His Date With Rihanna

Michael Coats Jr. did not have the drive to play football in high school

Coats Jr. attended Biloxi High School in Biloxi, Mississippi. Even though he showed potential as an athlete, Coats Jr. fell out of love with sports altogether.

Undrafted Rookie From West Virginia Who Never Played High School Football Makes It to Browns’ 53-Man Roster michael coats jr.
Michael Coats Jr. (Image via ABC Cleveland)

In an interview with The Dominion Post, Coats Jr. revealed that he had lost the drive to play sports in ninth grade.

I just didn’t have a drive for it. I can’t tell you why. I just honestly didn’t have a drive for it.

Coats Jr. said

Instead of spending afternoons polishing his football skills, Coats worked 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the arcade. However, he soon had an epiphany. He did not want to do odd jobs for the rest of his life.

Around this time, he saw an advertisement on Facebook for a tryout with the Eastern Central Community College football team. He trained with his football buddies at home, which helped him make the team.

Coats played JUCO football for three seasons and racked up 47 tackles and four interceptions. In 2023, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and ended up at the Nevada Wolfpack. In his first year, he recorded 13 tackles, four pass deflections, and an interception in ten games. The following year, he had 41 tackles, 17 pass deflections, and four interceptions, earning first-team all-Mountain West honors.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Coats entered the transfer portal for the second time. On this occasion, he was picked up by the BIG 12 side West Virginia Mountaineers. In 12 starts for WVU, he had 30 tackles, 7 pass deflections, 2 TFLs, and led the BIG 12 in forced incompletions (32.1%). Coats concluded his college football career with 84 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 24 pass deflections.

Despite his pedigree, Coats went undrafted. The Browns signed him in May. On August 30, Coats made the Browns’ 53-man roster.

I just felt like, I’m a big believer in God, and it was a journey, and maybe it wasn’t meant for me to play then. Every day I worked hard, and maybe that time that I worked hard and stepped away, gave me an advantage because I’m still fresh right now, not banged up knees and bruises. Everything happened for a reason.

Coats said

The NFL is a very different ball game. He must work extra hard in training to stay in the mix for game time. Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward will take the majority of the snaps. Behind them, there’s a long list of players eyeing a chance to showcase their talents: Mekhi Blackmon, Tyson Campbell, Myles Harden, Ronnie Hickman, Donovan McMillon, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Daniel Thomas.

Also Read: