Saturday, August 9, 2014

Kurt Coleman: 'We are going to be a fast, tough, and aggressive defense'

Safety Kurt Coleman talked with Daniel House and discussed his role in Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme.

Updated: August 9th, 2014 1:27pm

By: Daniel House


Safety Kurt Coleman was signed in free agency this off-season to upgrade the backend of the Vikings secondary alongside Harrison Smith. Coleman spent four seasons in Philadelphia, but the team decided to part ways with him following the 2013 campaign.

The Vikings liked the physicality he provided with the Eagles and his superior abilities on special teams coverage groups. Coleman made his Minnesota Vikings debut in the preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders last night. He corralled an interception off a tipped pass and notched three tackles in the Vikings 10-6 win on Friday night. Coleman started alongside Harrison Smith, but played into the second quarter when Mistral Raymond exited the game with a concussion.

Mike Zimmer has indicated he is still searching for the right mix on the backend of the defense and it appears Kurt Coleman may have a legitimate chance to start for the Vikings. Coleman is just excited for the opportunity and is soaking in the beautiful weather while it lasts.

"The weather is not as hot so far and it's going to be much chillier in the later months. Honestly, it's fun. It's been welcoming, it's been warming, and I'm having fun growing as a team, and growing as a player," Coleman said.

Coleman is still trying to adjust to to Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme and is attempting to digest all the information being presented. He likes the physicality and aggressiveness that will be stressed in Mike Zimmer's defensive philosophy. It all came to fruition when Coleman recorded his first interception in Minnesota off off a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage. The defense will be aggressive in an effort to create turnover opportunities in the secondary.

"It's been a learning experience. [Zimmer] has got a vast amount of knowledge that I'm just trying to soak it all in and understand this defense, but really it allows guys like me and a lot of us to really play and not really think too much, but just react and have fun out there. We are going to be a fast, tough, and aggressive defense," Coleman explained.

Coleman is embracing the opportunity to learn from defensive backs coach Jerry Gray and he believes having a position coach who can directly relate to his players is critical for success.

"Anytime you have a guy that's been where you are at, he understands the learning curve at times, he understands the physical nature of things, but he can relate to guys a lot and he has a personable connection with each and every player, so it makes the connection a lot more stronger and allows guys to respect him and understand that he's doing it for our benefit," Coleman added.

Coleman believes the Vikings are developing a solid mix of players and feels they may quickly be developing into something special.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help this team win. Like I've been saying, I think this team has something special growing and building here and I just want to be a part of this special thing," Coleman concluded.

1 comment:

  1. Fantastic interview, Daniel! I loved Coleman's interception, he worked hard for it and got it. I hope that turns into a lesson for the rest of our secondary, that ball is anyone's while it's in the air.

    ReplyDelete