The 2019 USA Football Heart of a Giant Award presented by Hospital for Special Surgery and NY Giants announced their sixth and final set of outstanding tri-state area high school football player nominees open for voting. These students have been nominated by their coaches for their commitment, teamwork, will, character and dedication. Weequahic High School student and football player Duane Coleman has been named as one of the ten finalists.
Duane Coleman was overweight and depressed, all while watching his mother struggle with addiction. Occasionally he’d have suicidal thoughts. When Coleman wanted to give up, he couldn’t because he felt he still had greater strengths and goals to achieve. Coleman would go on to achieve these goals and find these greater strengths once he joined the Weequahic Football Team. Coleman says, “that’s when my life and joy and happiness started and I was motivated by losing weight and working hard to become a better person in life on and off the field. The commitment and dedication it took to keep a smile on my face when most kids would have thrown in the towel.” Head Coach Brian Logan says once starting the Weequahic strength and conditioning program, Coleman II lost over 100 pounds. Logan says, “he is thriving in school and his community. Duane’s life is better today because of football.”
One grand prize winner will be selected based on video submissions stating why they have the Heart of a Giant and will be honored on the field during a New York Giants’ home game. All six finalists and four honorable mention finalists will receive $1,000 for their high school’s football program, with the winner’s school getting an additional $9,000. For more information on the program, click here.
