The last time former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Sammie Coates was on a professional football field was March of 2020 as a member of the XFL's Houston Roughnecks. He caught two passes for 16 yards in the Roughnecks' 27-20 win over the Dallas Renegades. The now 30-year-old and former NFL third-round pick is looking north of the 49th parallel to keep his professional football dreams alive.
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Steelers receiver Sammie Coates makes a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs during a regular season game in 2016. The Steelers won 43-14.
Coates, who is now a father to a five-year-old, is thrilled to have the opportunity to fulfill his dream of having his son watch him play professional football. As a result, he signed with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in February.
"When I was in the league (NFL), my son was really young, like a few months old, right before I got done," he said to Edmonton media at rookie camp. "I had the chance to come up here and I decided to take it. I wanna play in front of my son."
Coates had already been on the radar of CFL teams. He had signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders back in 2021 to reunite with Auburn Tigers teammate quarterback, Nick Marshall, but he never reported and ended up on the suspended list. He mentioned he's always had an eye on the CFL because a few other Tigers teammates have played north of the border.
Jonathan Rose, who was briefly a teammate before he transferred to Nebraska for "personal reasons," is one of these guys. After his college career, Rose went undrafted in the NFL and signed with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016, and was named an East Division All-Star helping the team to a Grey Cup championship. He's stuck around in the CFL, last playing for the Elks in 2021.
What The Former Steelers Receiver Brings To Edmonton And His Respect For Pittsburgh
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Steelers receiver Sammie Coates misses a deep pass against the Indianapolis Colts.
Coates arrived in Pittsburgh in 2015 when the team selected him 87th overall. He was inserted into an offense with Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant in his first year. Coates caught one ball during his rookie season for an 11-yard gain. In his second and final season with the Steelers, Coates saw the field more often due to the suspension of Bryant for the season. Coates had 21 receptions for 435 yards and two scores.
"Once I get it all in, I can teach these guys, he said about his veteran status at rookie camp. "I have been around the game so long, learning from some of the best, Big Ben, AB, Le'Veon Bell. You learn a lot being around those guys, and seeing how they worked."
The Steelers traded Coates to the Cleveland Browns in September 2017 along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He played one season in Ohio before his last stop in the NFL came in 2018 with the Houston Texans. He caught one ball for a 12-yard gain. He had nothing but good things to say about the organization that drafted him and complimented ownership and also called 'players coach Mike Tomlin, probably one of the best.'
"It's just got that old-school mentality that you can't take away," he said about Pittsburgh. "It's got that football feeling and that's the Steelers."
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Steelers receiver Sammie Coates waits for the ball to complete a touchdown catch against the New York Jets.
Fans might remember the size and speed Coates could play with when he was at his best. Perhaps his shining moment in Pittsburgh came back in 2016 with the New York Jets visiting. Clad in the infamous bumble bee uniforms, down 3-0 on the team's opening drive of the game, Roethlisberger launched it deep for Coates, who sped down the field for a 72-yard score.
He's going to need some work getting back to speed according to Elks General Manager, Chris Jones, but the team is excited to bring in his "big time" experience.
Will you keep an eye on the former Steelers receiver this CFL season? Do you watch any of the CFL? Comment below!
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