It’s always interesting to see what former Pittsburgh Steelers players are up to these days. Former wide receiver Sammie Coates, the Steelers’ third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, got a new job, per the Ohio Northern University Twitter account Monday.
Coates spent two seasons with the Steelers and appeared in 20 games. He caught 22 passes for 446 yards and two touchdowns. His sophomore season was his best as he caught 21 passes for 435 yards and both of his career touchdowns. He averaged 20.7 yards per reception in 2016 and had a career-long 72-yard reception as well.
Coates’ best game of his Steelers and NFL career came in Week 5 of 2016 when Pittsburgh hosted the New York Jets. Coates had six receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-13 win. One of those touchdowns came on that 72-yard catch that occurred in the first quarter. You can see the highlight here. Coates later added a 5-yard touchdown reception came inside the two-minute warning of the second half to close out the win.
Despite posting a quality season, Pittsburgh traded Coates and a 2019 seventh-round pick prior to the start of the 2017 season to the Cleveland Browns for their sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft. Coates did not stick with the Browns past that season, and he played one more season with the Houston Texans before his NFL career ended. He also played one season in the XFL for the Houston Roughnecks in 2020.
Per the press release from ONU, Coates spent the last three seasons coaching at the high school level as an assistant at Jensen Beach High School in Jupiter, Florida.
While Coates never did deliver on his promise coming out of Auburn University, where he finished his three-season college career with 13 touchdowns and 1,757 yards on 82 receptions, he still spent two seasons with the Steelers. It’s always good to see a former player doing well, and here’s hoping that he’s found his calling as a college coach with the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears.
