Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Paul Coffman
When Paul Coffman was young and growing up in the tiny town of Chase, he told anyone willing to listen about his dream. He wanted to play in the NFL.
But few encouraged him to chase the goal. In a rural community populated by friends that spent their days working in oil fields, the NFL seemed unattainable. They all thought his dream was unusual, and they made sure he knew how strange it was.
“They laughed at me,” Coffman says now. “They said, ‘You will be working here for the rest of your life.’ ”
They were wrong. Coffman went on to play tight end at Kansas State and in the NFL, lasting 10 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played so well for so long that he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. This weekend, he will receive another lifetime achievement honor when he goes into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Still, he credits Chase for helping him find success.
“It is a reflection of not just athletic ability and me but my hometown, the people around me and the things that molded my character and my work ethic,” Coffman said. “I am happy for the town of Chase, right out in the middle of nowhere, and the people that helped me along the way. I learned a lot of life lessons there.”
Chief among them was how much can be accomplished when you work hard. If low pay and long hours could support a family of four, think what he could do on the football field with the same passion.
Hard work, by itself, helped Coffman catch on at both K-State and in the NFL. First, he was a walk-on for a terrible college team. Then he impressed a Green Bay scout while helping former star linebacker Gary Spani during a pre-draft workout.
Coffman remembers diving into bleachers to catch poorly thrown passes. When it was over, they asked Coffman if he wanted to join the team for training camp.
“They brought me in to make the lines longer,” Coffman said. “You didn’t have out-of-season training back then, and most players worked other jobs. So something like 120 people showed up to training camp. There was a lot of attrition. I was the last guy standing at times. So I made the team.
“But I would have no shot today. I wouldn’t get to show I am in better shape and can work harder and can endure more injuries than most players. I would not get that opportunity.”
He made the most of it at the time, learning how to outsmart defenders and play his way into three Pro Bowls. Eventually, he passed those traits down to his sons Chase, Carson and Cameron, all of whom earned Division I football scholarships.
“I consider myself very fortunate,” Coffman said. “This latest honor is another blessing.”
This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Paul Coffman."