Like every NFL player, 49ers running back Tevin Coleman wrestled over the offseason with the tough choice of deciding whether or not to play football while COVID-19 continued to spread throughout the United States. But, with an assist from his family, Coleman decided it would be best to return to Santa Clara and join the 49ers as they embark on their mission to return to the Super Bowl.
Coleman spoke about his decision while speaking with reporters following the 49ers' practice session on Friday.
"It was very difficult to make that decision, but with the support of my family – my wife, my kids – they convinced me to come down here and just focus on work and playing football," said Coleman.
The 49ers had two players decide to opt out of the season in offensive tackle Shon Coleman and wide receiver Travis Benjamin. The thought of temporary separation from his family wasn't easy for Tevin Coleman to face, but he's confident things will be fine back home while he works on preparing for the upcoming season.
"My wife is taking care of them, getting them right," Coleman said. "That really sits well with me that I have an amazing woman that can take care of my kids when I'm not there. It definitely makes me feel comfortable with being here and playing football. But it was definitely a tough decision and a hard decision for me and my family."
Coleman would have had a busy offseason even without COVID-19 swirling around due to the fact he was recovering from surgery for a shoulder injury sustained during the NFC Championship game in January.
"It was real difficult to get that work in," said Coleman, who rushed for 544 yards and six touchdowns for the 49ers last season after signing with the team in March of 2019. "I had surgery on my shoulder in the offseason, so I was working real hard with that, getting my shoulder back and getting it right to be here."
Now that he's back with his team and has both his COVID-19 decision and his shoulder rehab behind him, Coleman has shifted his focus to the task at hand. Needless to say, that task will be to settle for nothing less than the Lombardi Trophy the 49ers fell just short of winning at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
"Our goal is to get back to the Super Bowl," Coleman said. "Where we left off, we didn't finish. That's our mindset is to go back and finish and get that ring. But it definitely takes work. It definitely takes strain and things like that. We'll have to fight and work hard to get back to where we were last year."
