ORCHARD PARK, NY – Keon Coleman sees your comments on social media.

“Everything,” the Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver clarifies. “I don’t bother to see it, but I see everything. It’s funny… it’s laughable because nobody really knows me except my family. So it’s like I don’t really care. It doesn’t affect me. I’m mentally strong.”

There are some misconceptions about the Bills’ youngest player, or at least the side the world saw of him when he first became an NFL player. Coleman, who turned 21 in May, was his authentic self, but the Internet has – as it can – pushed things forward.

Maybe you’ve seen the clips. All examples of “That’s just Keon.” It’s a phrase that’s often used.

Examples include: Coleman talking about his yellow jacket after a reporter asked him about it during his introductory press conference. Coleman running down the field at his new home stadium and imagining a touchdown. Coleman grabbing a cookie on his way out of the Bills media room. Coleman referring to himself as the “Tiger Wish-He-Could,” in reference to his golf game.

Social media was buzzing with excitement for the player who arrived at One Bills Drive and was simply himself.

The videos had such a wide reach that Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed surprised Coleman on his birthday at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event wearing a similar yellow jacket and with cookies.

Coleman is an honest man and doesn’t understand where the belief that he loves cookies comes from – he was just hungry. He said he didn’t have any at home; “people exaggerate everything,” he said.

It’s all authentic, but it only scratches the surface.

“I’m a little more closed off than people might think based on an interview,” Coleman told ESPN. “You’ve seen some of that, but people don’t really know me the way they think they know me.”

ALL EYES WERE will be part of any wide receiver the Bills acquire after parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

As this new chapter continues with a Week 2 divisional game at the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), it will be fascinating to watch the 33rd overall pick unfold, as there are plenty of spectacular catches to come.

Coleman got off to a solid start as a blocker and receiver in Week 1’s 34-28 win over the Cardinals, and was Buffalo’s top receiver in snaps (73%) and all receiving categories (four receptions on five targets for 51 yards), including a spectacular sideline catch on the game-winning drive. In the weeks leading up to his first NFL game, Coleman’s quiet confidence and authenticity were evident.

“He’ll say things he really believes in, whether they’re outrageous or not, and that’s just the way he is. He’s a genuine and loyal guy,” said Randy Livingston, Coleman’s AAU basketball coach who is very close to the family.

The fun, talkative and joking personality is an integral part of Coleman. He is also intelligent and determined, and is dedicated to achieving success for himself, the Bills and his community in Opelousas, Louisiana. Coleman’s NFL journey has only just begun.

This journey also includes preparing for the history of the team he is joining.

Coleman and his agent Paul DeRousselle watched the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Four Falls of Buffalo” before he left for training camp.

DeRousselle noticed that Coleman wasn’t looking at his phone at all as they followed the story of how the Bills won and then lost the Super Bowl four times in a row.

“He was really committed and wanted to be one of those people who helped the city do something it had never done before,” DeRousselle said.

When asked about the documentary, Coleman said he became angry while watching it.

“I was like, ‘I wasn’t even a part of this,'” he said. “… I said, ‘I don’t want to watch this shit anymore.’ I turned it off. I said, ‘That’s enough.'”

“RAVEN DIDN’T PLAY with Keon.”

With these words, DeRousselle began when describing Coleman’s family.

Coleman’s mother, Raven Savoy, and grandmother, Paula, raised Coleman and his four siblings. His oldest brother, Kaylen, played a father figure in his life. Coleman has his mother’s and grandmother’s names tattooed on opposite sides of his neck.

While Coleman showed athletic talent from the beginning – for example, he hit a baseball bat at the age of three or four – his school education was his priority.

Savoy motivated him to get good grades so he could play sports. She made him a priority for her children after seeing so many promising people from her community fail because of their academic performance. Coleman wanted to do karate, and Savoy said she would provide him with the resources he needed if he achieved a 4.0. Eventually, he had to give up karate in favor of baseball. Coleman was a kid who always needed an activity to channel his energy. Savoy remembers people saying Coleman was “a bad kid,” but in reality, Coleman just needed something to do.

There is one thing everyone agrees on about Coleman: when he feels comfortable, he always has something to say.

Cornerback Rasul Douglas often described him to ESPN with the words, “Damn way too much.”

“It’s not even like something, it’s just so random, like, ‘Yo, there was a squirrel, it jumped on a…’ Like bro, what are you talking about?” Douglas described. “…All day long, it’s like Keon is telling you a story when you walk by him now. I’m telling you.”

ALSO FROM ONE Even at a young age, Coleman had great self-confidence.

“He had a certain flair,” Livingston said. “He just had grit and I think he always had that confidence that is rare in kids. … But he also knew he was going to work very hard for what he wanted and that’s a rare combination.”

Jonathan Fisher, a family friend with whom Coleman lived during high school after meeting him through the nonprofit program Hope for Opelousas, said he and Savoy didn’t think Coleman would play football for long. When he first started playing football in eighth grade, he was a lanky kid who didn’t like getting hit. A growth spurt between his freshman and sophomore years contributed to his enjoyment of the game and his ability in it.

When Coleman was choosing a college, he insisted on playing both basketball and football.

At Michigan State University, Coleman played basketball for one season, appearing in six games. After his sophomore year of college football – he led all receiving categories – he decided not to return to the basketball program, in part to recover from a partial muscle tear near his hip flexor. He had success playing football and enjoyed it; the risk of injury on the field was not worth it to him.

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo recalled thinking it would be difficult for Coleman to understand the weekly changes because he spent so much time on the football program – but that wasn’t the case. “Damn, he was better at it than me,” he said. “He knew everything.”

“If he dedicated himself to basketball, I think he could do it? Maybe,” he added. “I think his sport is football, but I wouldn’t put it past Keon. … He’s explosive and he can defend, and there were a couple of games where I used him in tight games just to guard people. I thought he was going to be a football player, and then after his sophomore year of football, I said, ‘He needs to be a football player.'”

Coleman said the decision was natural. Playing football is more than just a sport he is involved in. It is a popular sport in Opelousas and he believes he sets a good example with his play.

“I found a deeper meaning in playing football,” he said. “… I think football was … it gave kids more of a connection, like, ‘If he can do it, then at least I have a chance or something.'”

Coleman transferred to Florida State in the spring of 2023 – on the “DaChosenOnes” podcast, he said it was part of a “big plan” to play at Michigan State for two seasons before moving closer to home. “I belong in the South,” he said on the podcast.

In Coleman’s only season in Tallahassee, he battled injuries and some inconsistency, but still scored 11 touchdowns for the ACC champions. He also caught nine passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns in Florida State’s game against LSU – his hometown team.

“I’m myself and I’m focused,” Coleman said. “Most people will look at it like, oh, I really need to focus. I don’t need to. I already have that. I can focus and joke with you now, but I’m still focused.”

WHEN COLEMAN LEFT When he tried to eat at quarterback Josh Allen’s house earlier this summer, Allen’s cook prepared fish. Coleman said, “What the hell is that, I’m not eating that,” so he didn’t. Coleman said he doesn’t eat fish. Staying true to himself has impressed his quarterback.

“He’s just not normal. And I mean that in the best way,” Allen said. “He does things his way and is always himself. He’s very authentic. … I love the guy.”

Coleman has a confidence that allows him to fearlessly be himself on the biggest stage. He is a fun and personable individual while also being determined to succeed for himself – and everyone in Opelousas – in the NFL.

Before his first game with the Bills, Fisher noticed that Coleman had his usual approach and showed no nerves in the game.

“No, why?” Coleman replied when asked if he was nervous. “I just go out and do what I do.”