He waited through a gray-shirt season, then a red-shirt season, then as he played behind future NFL stars, All-Americans, All-SEC players.
When he got on the field, it was mainly on special teams, where he stood out.
 LSU defensive players Harry Coleman (24), Chevis Jackson (21) and Kirston Pittman (49) celebrate a defensive fumble recovery against Ohio State in the second half during the BCS championship college football game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. Coleman is projected as the Tigers’ starting strong safety after waiting patiently behind starters like LaRon Landry and Craig Steltz his first two seasons - Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press Advertisement
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And now Harry Coleman finally gets the chance to start and show in a full-time position that he can play.
“Good things happen to those who wait,” said Coleman, who led West St. Mary to its only undefeated season and a quarterfinal playoff appearance in Class 3A in 2003. “I was grateful to play behind LaRon (Landry) and (Craig) Steltz, pick their brain, getting to know what they saw on the field so I could better myself on the field.
“I keep in contact with them because they are in the NFL and I’m trying to get there.”
Even with those ambitions, Coleman still thinks team first, as he did when he was waiting for his chance to shine.
“I just want to come out every day, work hard and try to give the young guys a pointer on what to do and what not to do,” said the Tigers’ junior safety.
When Coleman finally got his chance, Jan. 8 in the BCS championship game against Ohio State, he made the most of it. In the process he gave LSU fans a taste of what was to come.
The WSM grad entered the game in the first quarter after Steltz went down with a stinger in his shoulder and played the rest of the way for the Tigers.
In the process, Coleman picked up a fumble and returned it 14 yards, made two tackles and hurried Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman into an ill-advised pass that was intercepted.
And the funny thing was that even his coaches had no idea what was about to happen.
“When Craig went down in the first quarter, I didn’t know what to expect,” said LSU co-defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto. “I thought, ‘Uh-oh.’
“But when we put Harry in the BCS game, we didn’t miss a beat. He was thrown into the fire and played well.”
Now as the 2008 season approaches, Coleman is ready to put last year behind him and concentrate on making this year’s team repeat champions under defensive co-coordinators Peveto and Doug Mallory, who were promoted when defensive coordinator Bo Pellini was named head coach at Nebraska following last season.
“Right now, I’m practicing with the first team at strong safety,” said Coleman. “Being in the same system the past three years as helped me a lot. It’s the same system and the same plays.
“Now it’s like second nature. Instead of thinking, it’s straight reacting to everything. There have been no changes, everything is still the same.”
Coleman finally gets his chance to run out of the locker room Saturday, Aug. 30, as a starter on defense when the Tigers play host to Appalachian State.
“I can hardly wait,” said Coleman. “After spring ball was over, there was nothing to do but just work out and try to get better.
“I’m chomping at the bit ready to go.”
While being a starter will be a new experience, Coleman has seen action for the Tigers.
After sitting out the 2004 season as a gray shirt, meaning he didn’t enter LSU until the spring semester of 2005, and red-shirting and sitting out the 2005 campaign, Coleman played in all 13 games as a red-shirt freshman in 2006 and finished the season with 12 special team tackles.
He was named LSU’s Special Teams Player of the Week twice in wins over Louisiana-Lafayette and Mississippi State.
Last year Coleman played in 13 games and had 11 unassisted tackles and seven assists, recording a tackle for loss. His best game last season was four tackles, three solo, against Mississippi State.
“It’s been worth it the past three years,” said Coleman. “I just had to wait my time. I couldn’t come in and ask the others or the coaches to sit them down because they were already proven. All I had to do was see what they see and do what they do and go about my business doing like them.”
No matter what happens this season, the one thing that will remain constant for Coleman is that he will always do the best for the team and will go about his job as humbly as possible. No radical changes for him.
“I’m still the same kid from Baldwin, Louisiana,” said he said.
“Nothing has changed for me.”
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