RAPID CITY - Wacey Coleman lined up in a three-point stance like he had a thousand times before. He anticipated the move he would use to beat the offensive tackle in front of him. Coleman had bested so many offensive lineman, running backs and quarterbacks that he was chosen as a first-team all-conference and an all-American the previous year. On the snap, Coleman moved down the line and with no warning he was cut by the guard and just heard a pop playing against South Dakota Mines this season.

"It put a hole in my joint capsule, and sprained my MCL," said Coleman, "It was the longest I've ever had to sit out. It's hard to sit on the sideline and watch while your team is out there. It made me realize that football can be taken away at anytime."

Last season, the Yellow Jackets found a diamond in the rough in Coleman. In his first year on the field he surprised everyone by earning 9.5 sacks, and 50 tackles on his way to all-American honors.

"Everything he does, he does with relentlessness," said Black Hills State head coach John Scott. "Whether it's his approach to the weight room, academics or practice. You can always see the effort pouring out. Nothing is going to deny him."

This included the injury Coleman had suffered. He recovered faster than most had expected, returning in only three weeks. He came back to face Dickinson State and in his first game he wrangled seven tackles, two for a loss. Currently, he has 30 tackles in just five games, 10 for a loss, and two sacks. But for Coleman, while the individual accolades are a plus, he stresses team above all else.

"It was a big surprise being named an All-American, especially being my first year on the field. But this team and my teammates are the reason I'm here, the reason I chose to come to Black Hills State. I'm not thinking about last year or next year. We have to win these next two games decisively. We have to blow them out of the water to have a shot to get in the playoffs."

Born and raised in Gillette, Wyo. Coleman didn't start playing football until the eighth grade, and said he never expected to make it to the level he has much less earn the recognition.

"I started playing football late," he said, "I didn't expect to be playing college football, but here I am, and I love the atmosphere here and the game."

"He doesn't say a whole lot," said Scott. "But our kids really draw from him because he leads with his actions. He is probably the most uncomfortable when he has to talk about himself because he is the type of person that wants to do it on the field and let that do the talking for him."

Black Hills State is 5-3 on the season and will travel to Jamestown College today at noon MDT. The game is a

must win for the Yellow Jackets and Scott says Coleman will play a big part defensively.

"Our defense will need to play well, and Wacey is a big part of that," Scott said. "Every week becomes a must-win game. We have to play with urgency but not panic."