Image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
Jalen Coker is quickly becoming a household name nationally.
When he faces Cleveland on Sunday and probably puts up significant numbers, there will be a lot of pride floating around Worcester and across the country for those that have ties to Holy Cross.
The coaches, staff members and fans that watched him play wearing a Crusaders’ uniform have known how good he is for a while now.
But, it’s not just Coker that’s spreading the Holy Cross name around the NFL these days.
Benton Whitley recently signed on to the Patriots practice squad and is now on his eighth NFL team in just a few short years., finding a way to stick around. Kalif Raymond has become a well-known special teams weapon for Detroit. CJ Hanson is in Year 3 with the Chiefs. Luke Newman is in Year 2 with the Bears. Liam Anderson had a nice little run with the Colts and will be on the active roster for the Dolphins when they host Hanson’s Kansas City squad on Sunday.
With Coker leading the charge, Whitley and the others are carrying that purple and white flag with honor as they navigate their NFL journeys.
“Honestly, it’s pretty satisfying because, since his freshman year, he was just a different player,” Whitley said of Coker on Friday at his new locker inside the New Balance Athletics Center. A new name plate with ‘No. 42’ and ‘Holy Cross’ glowed in red, white and blue lighting just over his left shoulder. “We’ve known he was like that. We saw it so much at practice, it’s like…we knew how good he really was. To see him get doubted by the NFL and then show who he was, it’s very satisfying.
“It’s inspiring and it’s challenging us to do our thing. Right now, it’s me, Liam, Luke, Kalif, CJ…we’re all in the league and Coker’s kind of like, setting the stage.”
For Whitley, signing back in New England as a Western, MA guy felt like something that was meant to happen, especially considering the amount of different stops he’s had already in just five years.
“It was like a dream come true,” he said. “Everybody that’a asked me about it, I’ve just said ‘God is good.’ I feel like it’s all part of the process. This is my eighth team now.
“I’ve been on active rosters, I’ve been on practice squads, but every single stop there’s been something I’ve learned. I feel like at this point, my game’s pretty complete. Special teams, defense, pass rush, the run, I’m excited to show the (Patriots) what I can do on the practice field and hopefully get an opportunity.”
I also asked Mike Vrabel what the team saw in Whitley to bring him on four weeks into the season.
“Well, that he had played and had a really good workout. I think he’s in shape, he’s ready to go,” he said. “I think he’s gotten off to a really good start here with practice, and we’ll continue to work with him. He’s a big body, showed some explosion, and like I said, had a really good workout the other day.”
That uncertainty isn’t easy to deal with, but Whitley and all of the others making a name for themselves right now had an incredible coach in Bob Chesney – who is now 4-0 in his first season at UCLA and simply wins everywhere he goes – to help deal with tough times.
Whitley immediately smiled when Chesney’s name came up in our conversation.
“I feel like he prepared me a lot,” he said. “On the field, but more so off the field. I feel like Coach Chesney’s not just a football coach, he’s a leader of men. A lot of the things he preached to us at Holy Cross hold true in the football facility, but then also just in life. I feel like a lot of the things I learned there are going to help me be a better father, a better person in society, so yeah, I’m definitely grateful for Coach Ches.”
As you hear more and more ‘from Holy Cross’ out of NFL announcers’ mouths on Sundays, it’s a testament to the program Chesney built, the work ethic instilled and the support provided by everyone at that little school on the hill in Worcester.