A LOVE STORY: Redblacks’ Davon Coleman stars after devastating loss of mother

Content of the article

It’s been a really tough year, on and off the football field, for Davon Coleman.

Content of the article

Needless to say, the struggles of the Ottawa Redblacks – the team is 3-10 going into Friday’s game in Vancouver – are eating away at the 31-year-old defensive lineman. But he is also still dealing with the grief of losing his mother Sheri (Woodall), who died June 14 in Cleveland. Football is a game. Family is a lifeline, a lineage… that’s all.

Content of the article

Content of the article

While Coleman was with the Redblacks, days before the team’s home opener against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he got to see his mother one last time on a FaceTime call, exchanging final words. In and out of consciousness, Sheri woke up and spoke with her son.

« She told me how much she loved me, how proud she was of me, » Coleman said. « I told her how much I loved her and how much I wanted her to keep fighting. »

Content of the article

Her mother, who died of congestive heart failure, had been struggling with her health for some time.

« Everything was failing, » Coleman said. “She was taking a lot of medication, her kidneys had started to fail. She had a machine installed in case her heart stopped. His last operation didn’t go so well. She must have been put in a coma for about a month. Then she was bedridden for another two months. She had bed sores because she had been in bed for so long, she kept getting weaker and weaker. Even being cleaned was painful for her. She said it was the hardest thing she had ever been through. She kept fighting, she fought until the end.

Sheri would have turned 58 on September 2. That would have been a big problem. As Coleman grew up, his mother made sure he, his four brothers and his sister were cared for on special occasions. The family didn’t have a lot of money, but Sheri always wanted her kids to feel special, she wanted to see them smile.

Content of the article

Coleman returned home for the funeral on June 23.

« It was beautiful, we did our best to bury it the right way, » Coleman said. « But it’s hard to put your mother underground. »

Coleman was close to his mother, whose daily morning routine consisted of drinking coffee and watching Yolanda Adams on television.

« She was my twin, » he said. “She was always smiling. If my mother was in a bad mood, something must really be going on. His outlook on life was different from most others; she always had a positive attitude. I remember so many good times. She would do anything in the world for us. I still wonder how she did it. We kept her on her toes; there were five boys with big personalities. We didn’t have much, but it felt like we had everything. She would break her back to provide for us. We never went without a birthday or Christmas present. She lived for stuff like that, it made her happy to see us happy. She always did what she had to do to make us smile. From football to wrestling to basketball, she has always been there to support me.

Content of the article

After Coleman earned a spot on the Dallas Cowboys roster, his family was there for his first start. He introduced Sheri, who worked with autistic adults, to a new car – a 2013 Dodge Charger.

« It was nice to reverse roles and give her a present, » Coleman said. « She didn’t see it coming, she was in tears. Being able to bless her with a car was a big moment for me. I offered to ship it from Texas to Cleveland, but she took it home.

More than three months after losing his mother, he still hasn’t fully understood. He kept his memory alive with photos and happy memories.

« I know she’s with me, » Coleman said. « (When she died) it was a bullet in the stomach, something I couldn’t imagine. Nothing could have prepared me for it. I’m selfish, I want her with me, but I don’t didn’t want her to suffer. Maybe one day the closure will be there, but not yet. I know she has no pain, she is with the Lord, she is with her mom who she really missed .

Content of the article

THE END AROUND: The Redblacks will miss a few starters as they face BC wide receiver Nate Behar and offensive lineman Ucambre Williams won’t play. DB Sherrod Baltimore, OL Darius Ciraco, RB William Powell and LB Adam Auclair remain absent. DL Lorenzo Mauldin IV is also listed as doubtful… There’s still a chance for the Rouge et Noir, according to the CFL’s simulation, which indicates that the odds of Ottawa making the playoffs are 4.13%. Hamilton, who is just one win ahead of Ottawa, is on 54.49%. The Redblacks are expected to finish with a 5-13 record. The odds of Ottawa making the Gray Cup are 0.06%, with Toronto at 90.01%. The odds of Ottawa winning the Gray Cup are 0.01%. Hey, that’s not 0.00 percent… CFL quarterback rankings rank Ottawa’s Nick Arbuckle ninth. Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros is number one, while Jake Maier, who replaced Bo Levi Mitchell as Calgary’s starter, moves up to second… This year’s Gray Cup in Regina is officially sold out.