The Sports Xchange

The Atlanta Falcons signed running back Tevin Coleman, their third-round NFL Draft pick who rushed for 2,036 yards for the Indiana Hoosiers last season.

Coleman became just the 18th player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to top the 2,000-yard mark in a season, and he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting while being named a consensus All-American. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Coleman finished his Hoosiers career with 3,219 yards on 452 carries for a 7.1-yard average per carry. He also scored 28 touchdowns.

Coleman was the third-rated running back by NFLDraftScout.com and No. 44 prospect overall, but fell to the Falcons with the 73rd overall pick, with Todd Gurley (No. 10, St. Louis), Melvin Gordon (No. 15, San Diego), T.J. Yeldon (No. 36, Jacksonville) and Ameer Abdullah (No. 54, Detroit) selected ahead of him.

NFLDraftScout.com analyst Dane Brugler compared Coleman to current Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray, saying: “With similar body types and run styles, Coleman mirrors a lot of what Murray does on the football field, running with athleticism, toughness and the home-run ability to carry an offense.”