More than 15 years ago, a 6-year-old Jonah Coleman experienced a moment that would shape the rest of his life. Growing up in Stockton, California, he spent his days playing outside with friends near his apartment complex. But one such day, the sound of gunshots made the kids run for cover. Yet, a terrible scene made Jonah stop in his tracks. 

Just a few feet away, Jonah saw his father, Jamon, lying on the ground after being shot three times. Panic set in as Jonah rushed to his side. People tried to help Jamon, tearing cloth to stop him from bleeding out. In that chaos, Jamon turned to his son and made him promise something.

Fast forward to the present day, and that promise has carried Jonah all the way to the NFL Draft, where the Denver Broncos selected him with the 108th overall pick. 

“When new Denver Broncos running back Jonah Coleman was six years old, he saw his dad get shot three times,” Broncos reporter Zac Stevens revealed in an X post on Monday. “That changed the rest of his life, helped him defy the odds, and made it to the NFL. When Jonah’s dad was bleeding after being shot in the groin, the back, and the head, he told his son to never join a gang as he had. Jonah promised he wouldn’t.

“Growing up in Stockton, California, Jonah not only avoided gang life, but he went on to succeed at everything he did on his way to the NFL. With the guidance of his father, who withdrew from the gang life he had been a part of, Jonah excelled in school and football.”

Jonah Coleman grew up in a large family with nine siblings, with limited resources, so he came to appreciate whatever he got. But the hard life still pulled some of Jonah’s siblings toward gang life, as it had once pulled their father. But that day, when Jamon was shot three times, it forced him to leave that gang life behind, and things changed for the better.

“Don’t be me,” Jamon told his son.

And Jonah didn’t just listen to his father – he committed to avoiding gang life. In school, Jonah balanced academics and football with remarkable discipline. In 2021, Jonah became a three-star recruit and committed to Arizona. Then, he spent two seasons with the Wildcats, recording 1,243 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on 203 carries. 

In 2024, Coleman transferred to Washington and played two seasons with the Huskies, recording 1,811 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 348 carries. At the same time, Coleman graduated with a 3.93 GPA and earned first-team academic All-American honors. 

Throughout his collegiate career, Coleman also leaned on a strong support system, including Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Andre Reed. Along with his father, these mentors helped guide Coleman to the NFL draft stage last week, where Sean Payton’s Broncos gave him a shot at an NFL career. 

Jonah Coleman shares his plans with the Broncos 

Jonah Coleman didn’t just hope to land in Denver – he believed it would happen. He even walked up to the podium on Saturday morning and declared that the Broncos would select him with the 62nd pick. That’s not exactly how it turned out, as the Broncos drafted him 46 picks later than he predicted. But Coleman still took to social media to express that he was “excited to be a Bronco!”

Now, under head coach Sean Payton, Coleman joins a backfield that includes RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins. Denver’s run game dipped last season, especially after Dobbins suffered a foot injury. The Broncos averaged 4.9 yards per carry with Dobbins and just 3.9 without him. So, Coleman could be more than just a depth piece – he could even replace the veteran RB. But Coleman plans to do more than just carry the ball in Denver.

“Now I get to go protect Bo Nix, and I take pride in that,” Coleman said in a conference call after being drafted. “And I may not have, like, all the exciting plays, all that. But I do the dirty work. I do the things that not a lot of people pay attention to.”

At 5’9” and 229 pounds, Coleman brings a compact, powerful build that makes him tough to bring down. In college, Coleman forced 32 missed tackles, which is the fourth-most recorded in college football since 2014. On top of that, Coleman also fumbled just once in his entire collegiate career, showcasing how much he values ball security. 

Meanwhile, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix continues to recover from a broken bone injury that he suffered during the AFC Divisional Round game last season. So, Coleman can also become a valuable protector for Nix as he works his way back to full health in the upcoming season.