Early Years
Coleman was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma in 1928 and moved with his family to Flint, Michigan before his freshman year in high school. His father shined shoes at Flint's Durant Hotel, worked as a hotel porter, and worked in the automobile factories.
Coleman did not play football until his senior year at Flint Central High School. Two of Coleman's older brothers had died in their youth, one from drowning and the other from pneumonia. Coleman's mother did not want her youngest son to be injured playing football. Accordingly, Coleman played No.1 trumpet in the high school band and competed in swimming for three years. When Flint Central had a swim meet with Royal Oak High School, the Royal Oak coach "made it known Coleman would not be allowed to swim because a black swimmer had never been in their pool." Flint Central swim coach, Bob Richardson, stood behind Coleman and told the Royal Oak coach that, "if Don Coleman couldn't swim, then the rest of the Flint Central team would not swim." Coleman became the first black swimmer to enter Royal Oak's pool.
As a senior in 1947, Coleman's mother finally agreed to allow her son to play football. In his first year of football, he was selected as an all-state guard and led Flint Central to the state championship.
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