Former Holy Trinity Tiger Seth Coleman Signs with Seattle Seahawks as Undrafted Free Agent
By Zane Garcia, Space Coast Daily // April 29, 2025
Coleman joins Holy Trinity alum Marcus Maye as the only former Tiger to reach the NFL
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Melbourne native Seth Coleman has become the second player in Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy history to make it to the NFL as the former Fighting Illini signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Coleman joins Holy Trinity alum Marcus Maye as the only former Holy Trinity Tigers to reach the NFL. The New York Jets selected Maye in the second round (39th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Coleman was a premier athlete in high school, excelling on both the football field and the basketball court. Coleman tallied 101 tackles, 28.0 Tfl, and 13 sacks as a senior, which earned him a 3-star rating by 247sports and ESPN.
Many top football programs, such as Baylor, TCU, Utah, and Nebraska, among others, offered Coleman scholarship opportunities. However, it was the University of Illinois that claimed the 6’5 “edge rusher.
In 2019, as a freshman, Coleman played in three games and was redshirted by the Illini.
Coming back for his redshirt freshman season (COVID-year), Coleman played in all eight games and started four at defensive end. In those eight games, he accumulated 13 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss.
To start the 2021 season, still as a redshirt freshman, Coleman saw more action on the field and achieved his first career sack against Nebraska on 8/28/2021. That season, Coleman amounted to 22 tackles and forced a fumble, recovered one, and broke up a couple of passes.
His impact on the field was starting to take notice, and in 2022, as a sophomore, he started all 12 games at outside linebacker.
His production only grew as he doubled his tackles with 45, doubled his sacks with 4.5, and was graded as one of the top edge rusher tacklers in the nation. Coleman’s great size and athleticism allowed him to wreak havoc on quarterbacks each game. His performance throughout the season earned him All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, and he would only continue to impress for the Fighting Illini.
As a junior, Coleman continued his consistent play on the field, accumulating 50 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and six sacks.
Coleman led the power-5 with six total sacks over road games and led the Illini in tackles for a loss. He had a career-high eight tackles in a game against Wisconsin, five being solo tackles.
Coleman was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on October 14, 2023, after having a three-sack performance against the University of Maryland, which was also the most by any Big Ten player that season. Coleman once again earned All-Big Ten honorable mention.
With the transfer portal and NIL becoming more popular than ever, Coleman stayed true to his commitment with the Fighting Illini. He finished his senior year as the team captain, starting every game. As the anchor for the defense, Coleman once again improved his tackle total with 53 and forced a fumble.
Coleman started and finished as a Fighting Illini and will now have an opportunity to be a force on the defensive line for the Seattle Seahawks.
