Already a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame and the NFL’s Team of the 1990s, Ben Coates will soon be able to also call himself a Black College Football Hall of Famer. As was announced on Tuesday, the former Patriots tight end is part if this year’s class of enshrinees.
Coates is one of seven men to receive the honor this season:
A standout performer at Livingstone College, where he set multiple school records, Coates joined the Patriots as a fifth-round draft choice in 1991. Over the next nine years he established himself as one of football’s best tight ends, earning five Pro Bowl nominations and twice being named a first-team All-Pro.