On April 20, 2024, Warren G. Harding athlete Airiz Coleman Bey received his first official Division I offer from Brown University. On Tuesday, just over two months later, the versatile senior-to-be announced his verbal commitment to the Bears.
For him and his family, yesterday was a dream come true.
"I'm beyond excited!" Coleman Bey proudly stated. "(Brown University) Coach James Perry was the first to believe in me and after that, I fell in love with their program."
In 2023, Coleman Bey hauled in 17 catches for 165 yards and returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown, which came in the season opener against archrival Canton McKinley. Defensively, he had two forced fumbles and one interception. In 22 career starts, he's only surrendered one touchdown.
Coleman Bey was a 2023 selection on both the Trumbull County and All American Conference teams. Harding also named him their "Defensive player of the Year" in baseball, a sport that he'll also play at Brown.
For newly-hired Harding head football coach Matt Richardson, seeing young men earn full scholarships will never get old.
"Any time that a student-athlete gets the opportunity to further their education at no cost, it is a great achievement," Richardson acknowledged. "With it being an Ivy League school, it makes it even more special because those offers don't come without a strong commitment to the classroom."
That "strong commitment to the classroom" has resulted in Coleman Bey's most impressive statistic... His current 4.7 grade point average. He already has 23 credits and by the time that he graduates from Harding, he'll already be well ahead of the curve with Brown's core curriculum in regards to reaching his long term goals as an adult.
"I'm going to major in Pediatrics and carry a minor in Child Psychology," Coleman Bey added. "I want to be a Pediatrician because I've always wanted to help children."
For now, Coleman Bey continues to help his peers by setting a high standard of excellence both on and off the field. That leadership is something that Richardson believes will prove to be infectious.
"Airiz has raised the bar both athletically and academically for the entire program," Richardson added. "He has shown a high level of dedication throughout the course of his education. A standard that all student-athletes should strive for. The entire Warren Community should be extremely proud of this young man."
With the example that Coleman Bey has already set up to this point, Richardson is excited about watching him develop into an even stronger leader as he progresses through his senior year.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Airiz become more of a vocal leader and encouraging his teammates thru his work ethic and enthusiasm both on and off the field" Richardson concluded. "He has been a good lockdown corner, punt/kick returner, and receiver over the last couple of years.
"With him being a veteran, I expect a great senior year from him."
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