TAMPA, Fla. — For the last 10 years, Ben Coates has been one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Now, he may arguably be the third-best on his team.
But if it works the way he hopes, he won’t care one bit.
Coates, the first player from Livingstone College to be drafted by the NFL (fifth round, 1991), has returned to the Super Bowl as the Baltimore Ravens’ backup tight end.
He actually started nine games this year when the Ravens opened in two-tight end sets, but has grown accustomed to assuming a back seat to starter Shannon Sharpe after signing just before the start of training camp.
“At first it was a little difficult but you learn to adjust to it,” Coates said. “You’ve got Shannon there along with myself, and one of us has to block, the other catches the ball. I learned to deal with it and adjust to it.
“Hey, look where it got me. Right back in the big show. I’d do it every year if there’s a guarantee I’m going to come back.”
Coates caught just nine passes for Baltimore during the regular season, a far cry from the 96 he had in 1994 that set the league record for catches by a tight end.
And never was that lack of action more troubling for Coates that Baltimore’s five-game stretch without a touchdown this season.
“When we went through that slump, that was one of the toughest things of my career,” he said. “You know, earlier in my career I was the feature guy in the red zone and scoring points. That was the toughest part, but I overcame that.
“We didn’t believe it was going on. We have a lot of talent on this team.
“Any guy on this team can score points. So when you go through something like that, ... if you can just stick with one another and not argue amongst yourselves, you’ll be fine.”
The Ravens have stuck together, and thanks to Coates, have arguably the best pair of tight ends in league history. Both he and Sharpe were named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1990s.
But all they have to do is look upstairs to see the best of all time. Sharpe (second with 619) and Coates (fifth, 499) are both chasing Ravens vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome (668) for the all-time lead in receptions among tight ends.
Coates laughs about the comparisons between the three, and said they usually joke about which one is the best. While Sharpe’s the man now and Newsome holds the all-time receptions record, Coates has more touchdowns (50) than either Sharpe or Newsome (49 each).
“You know, Ozzie has stats, Shannon has stats, and I have stats,” Coates said. “That’s the fun thing about it. No one has all the stats to themselves.”
Coates — who lives in Charlotte and still keeps track of the Bears football program — isn’t completely comfortable with his role, but he does view it realistically. Now, he’s hoping he can transform his new status into the kind of jewelry he never earned when he was a primary target.
He came to the Super Bowl with New England after the 1996 season, but the Patriots fell short against Green Bay.
And being there once only makes him want the coveted ring that much more.
“At this point in my career, it’s all about winning,” he said. “It’s not about being the feature guy all over again, or having all the stats.
“I’ve had the Pro Bowls, the records, the only thing I’m missing is the Super Bowl ring.”
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