Tevin Coleman confirms he has sickle cell trait

It was sometimes mysterious when Indiana University coach Kevin Wilson benched running back Tevin Coleman last season. Wilson would always say that Coleman needed rest from time to time, and that was it.

That wasn't all of it.

Coleman told ESPN.com reporter Vaughn McClure that he had sickle cell trait -- not sickle cell anemia, a blood disorder, as had been rumored. (Sickle cell trait isn't a disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says, but it means a person has inherited the sickle cell gene from a parent. It affects 1 in 12 blacks or African Americans in the United States, the CDC reports.)

Coleman was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons and signed with the club Tuesday.

Coleman never acknowledged his condition publicly, and Indiana coaches never revealed it. Not until the NFL combine did he announce he had played more than half of the season with a broken toe.

With that as backdrop, along with the fact that the Hoosiers' passing attack nearly vanished, Coleman's 2,036-yard season must rank as one of the most amazing achievements in college football history. As I have stated previously, he is one of the most spectacular athletes I have covered in a long journalism career.

Coleman set school records for yards in a season, plus average per carry in a season (7.5) and career (7.1). Over the past two seasons, he had 22 gains from scrimmage of 40 or more yards.

"Teams thought I had the full-blown sickle cell anemia, but this is the trait, so it's not as bad as sickle cell anemia," Coleman told ESPN.com. "If I had (sickle cell anemia), I would not even be playing. You can't even run if you have that. I said to those teams that I just had the trait and I'll be good. I played all throughout college. I'll be good."

Wilson told ESPN.com that four or five players on the Indiana roster have the sickle cell trait.

"The bottom line is in your practice, kids need recovery time," Wilson said. "A lot of guys play with the sickle cell trait. The deal is how to manage it. I think you have to credit Tevin to always being tough enough to push himself. While some folks might shy away because of it, he would push himself to the max."

Coleman said he must keep hydrated to manage his condition. As with most players, it is impossible to project how good he will be as a pro. He left after his junior season, and Wilson recently suggested that Coleman is still on the rise.

He will have to show that. He has already shown what he is willing to endure to play football.

Call Star reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195 or e-mail david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.