Corey Coleman probably has a better summer vacation story than you because he found himself on cloud nine with His Airness.
Coleman, a rookie wide receiver whose highlight plays have been turning heads at Browns training camp, signed a coveted Nike endorsement deal with Jordan Brand in March, but it wasn’t until last month that he finally met NBA legend Michael Jordan.
“At first, I was starstruck for a little bit, and then he started talking to me like I’m his son, having an everyday conversation like he’s known me for years,” Coleman told the Beacon Journal recently before the Browns took Wednesday off. “It was great.
“It was crazy ’cause you see him on TV, see him in movies, and I’m standing next to this man. I’m with his brand. I’m a part of the family. As a rookie, there’s not a better feeling. It’s unbelievable. I’m really grateful, and I’m thankful.”
Coleman and other Jordan Brand athletes mingled with Jordan during a retreat July 7-10 in the Bahamas, and it wasn’t just a quick meet and greet. Coleman spent a few days hanging out with Jordan, eating dinner with him and talking about life. Jordan gave Coleman his phone number, and the Browns’ 2016 first-round draft pick plans to keep in touch.
“I can call him anytime,” Coleman said. “He’s a good guy, and he loves me.”
Jordan addressed the players in attendance as a group and individuals.
“[He told me to] just stay focused and don’t let all this other stuff distract you,” Coleman said. “You’ve got one goal, and that should be your main focus.
“He’s like superhuman. He’s like a hero to everybody. So it was great spending time with him, spending three days. He really talked to me on a different level.”
Browns two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden is also a Jordan Brand athlete, but he didn’t attend the outing in the Bahamas because he spent the summer rehabilitating from March 16 ankle surgery.
Meanwhile, Coleman made other friends from the Jordan Brand. He met Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul and really hit it off with Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler.
“Jimmy Butler, he’s like my big brother,” said Coleman, a big basketball fan who could have played college hoops after starring as a point guard and shooting guard at Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. “He’s a real cool guy. He’s going to come to a Browns game, I believe.”
Coleman shares an agent, David Mulugheta, with two other Jordan Brand athletes who are in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey. On July 9, Coleman posted a photograph on Instagram of Jordan posing with him, Mulugheta, Thomas and Ramsey at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort. The caption reads, “Goals turned into reality ... and this [is] only the beginning! #TeamJordan.”
Coleman said what struck him most about Jordan was that he seemed to be “real humble.”
“I think people try to take this outlook on him,” Coleman said. “He’s a good dude at the end of the day. He’s a really good dude with a real good heart.”
And he isn’t the only sports icon whom Coleman can lean on for advice. At age 22, Coleman has the rare luxury of being able to speak to Jordan and legendary running back Jim Brown, the Browns’ special adviser, on a regular basis.
“You’ve seen what they’ve done for the game, how they sacrificed and they’re right in front of you,” Coleman said. “Anytime you have a question, you can call them, you can talk to them. They’re there for you, and it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Although Coleman took a break from training to vacation like Mike, he worked out plenty between mandatory minicamp in June and training camp. He spent a few days training with projected Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin III in Los Angles under the guidance of throwing guru Tom House.
“It builds trust, it builds camaraderie to know when he’s going to be coming out of his breaks,” Griffin said. “He made the effort to come out, to come work out when he could be off. He could be in the Bahamas or something sipping on pina coladas or whatever he wanted to do, and he came out to work, and I think that’s important for him, for us as a team.”
Enlisting an all-time great as a mentor can’t hurt, either.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ.