Report; Coleman admitted to drug use prior to October hit and run
By Dan Viens
A police report released today recommends Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman be charged for his role in an October car crash.
When Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman got into a serious car accident last October, flipping his car and injuring another driver in the process, we all wanted to believe there was nothing suspicious about the incident. After all, Coleman has become a role model to the deaf community. He’s the first legally deaf person to play in the NFL.
But a report today released by the Bellevue Police Department unveils a different side of Coleman, who admitted to smoking synthetic marijuana just before the crash. Police found four bags of the drug in Coleman’s car and a spoon used for ingesting it. One of the bags was open. Coleman fled the scene of the accident and was found a couple blocks away. No charges have been filed yet, but the Bellevue PD is recommending that Coleman be charged with Vehicular Assault and Hit and Run.
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Where does this leave Coleman’s status with the Seahawks? At the time of the accident the team placed Coleman on indefinite suspension while they gathered more information, but he was reinstated less than a week later. He’s a solid performer on special teams and at fullback, and even helped fill in at running back when Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls were both missing due to injury. He appeared in 14 games in 2015 with 32 yards on 8 carries.
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Coleman is a restricted free agent this off season. Will this latest revelation affect the Seahawks decision on whether to tender him a new contract and attempt to bring him back in 2016? How much weight will they give his off-field charitable work and status in the deaf community? With fellow FB Will Tukuafu an unrestricted free agent at the same time, there are definitely decisions to be made regarding the Seahawks lead blockers.
Today’s report, and the reality that charges are likely pending, certainly doesn’t help Coleman’s cause.