Kevin Coleman Jr. Has Always Been 'Just Different'

Kevin Coleman Jr. has grown accustomed to his name prompting the mention of Luther Burden III. The competition between those two has grown into folklore in the St. Louis area.

“Me and Lou have been going against each other since we were nine years old,” Coleman Jr. said in a press conference Tuesday. “Always been the top two guys for my city.”

The comparisons have carried on through their college careers.

Especially once Coleman Jr. finally transferred to Missouri the year after Burden departed for the NFL. After all, they have similar playing styles, carry similar frames and dominated the St. Louis high school scene at the same time. Coleman Jr. now even has the same NIL deal for spicy potato chips.

“I knew with me coming here, that the fans and just everyone here just expected me to either do those same things (as Burden), or go above and beyond and do even better things,” Coleman said.

Oh, and they even wear the same number. Squint your eyes enough and you might think Burden was back out there lining up for the Tigers.

“I know the hype with the jersey number,” Coleman said. “I knew what I was getting myself into.”

But since he was in middle school, Coleman’s goal has been to make his own mark. Not only from Burden, but anyone else. He’s embraced what his father coined as a “just different” mindset. 

It started when Coleman stood above the rest in youth leagues.

“He used to score two to four touchdowns a game in little league,” Coleman’s father, Kevin Sr. said in an interview with MissouriOnSI. “He was ahead of the curve. The game was too slow for him.”

The nickname evolved into a lifestyle. 

“Just moving your own unique way. Being different,” Coleman Jr. said of the saying. “Be your own person and try to leave your own legacy.”

The saying first manifested with his work ethic. In little league, he and his father would be on the field an hour before practice started to get extra work in.

“His work ethic is crazy,” Coleman Sr. said. “He always put the work in before he went to go have fun.”

He was a unique student athlete too, playing the trumpet in the high school marching band.

But what was most “different” about Coleman as he entered high school was the school he would be playing at.

Instead of going to one of the powerhouses in the St. Louis area, Coleman Jr. was going to St. Mary’s, a program with a reputation at the time for losing and not drawing any college scouts.

Corey Bethany coming over as an assistant at the dominant Christian Brothers Academy to be St. Mary’s head coach in 2016, marking the first step of turning the tide for the program, going from a 1-10 finish in 2015 to 7-4 in the first year under Bethany.

The lack of a successful football program was not unique to St. Mary’s. It extended through the whole South side of St. Louis. 

“You didn't have many choices for good quality education and a place that can establish a true program,” Bethany said to MissouriOnSI. “Brotherhood was lacking in that type of area.”

But once Coleman Jr. and others came along, they completely changed the direction of the program. In his freshman season alone, Coleman Jr. tallied 1,045 receiving yards and caught 10 touchdowns. He held seven Power 4 offers before the beginning of his sophomore season, attracting more eyes to the program as a whole.

“It was astronomical,” Bethany said of Coleman Jr’s impact on the program’s rise. “When you have a dynamic player like Kevin, it opens the doors.”

In Coleman’s sophomore season, he led the Dragons to an appearance in the state semifinal in 2019. In 2021, he led the program to its first-ever state championship. The success on the football field was not only a turning point for the program, but for the entire community.

“People started being prideful, and (it) gave them something to boast and brag about in South City,” Bethany said. “How successful you are with football creates the love you have for your school. You remember the good things of being there, and everyone is excited to talk about your school.”

As recruiting buzz for Coleman Jr. continued to build, he left a legacy in the area by inspiring the younger generation watching him at a program where that kind of success once seemed unattainable.

“It makes the younger kids think, ‘Well, if he can go there, I can definitely go there,’” Bethany said. “(He’s) changing the mentality of kids going to a certain school, and transcendent athletes are capable of doing that.”

When Coleman Jr. entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz's pitch to him was the possibility of being a "hometown hero." But Coleman Jr. already was one. Now playing a mere two hours away has only amplified that impact.

He frequently talks to the little league team his father coaches in the area, preaching the mindset he’s carried with him.

“(He) tells them how you gotta separate yourself from others,” Coleman Sr. said. “The kids look up to him, and having him back at home in Missouri, they just see that their dreams could be reached.”

Coleman Jr.'s return home with the Tigers has been off to an impressive start. Through three games, he's racked up 258 yards and a touchdown. He's also boosted his numbers in the stands, with a contingent of around 40 people from his hometown able to attend each game.

Every time Coleman Jr. takes the field for Missouri, he’s reminded of that goal to be just different, wearing a yellow wristband with the saying on it. On his chest, he has the saying tattooed.