Kevin Coleman, a receiver from St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, had the option of playing at a traditional college power.

So it shocked many when the 4-star recruit made a somewhat untraditional decision by signing with Jackson State, a Historically Black College and University in Jackson, Miss.

Coleman said he settled on the Tigers because of coach Deion Sanders, a six-time first-team All-Pro cornerback, and the opportunity to attend an HBCU school.

“When I talked to Coach Deion, I loved everything he said,” Coleman said Tuesday during the first Polynesian Bowl practice at Kamehameha’s Kunuiakea Stadium. “I love his vision, I’ve seen the vision. I wanted to make change and I like everything he has in store for us as a student-athlete, so I made my decision to go to Jackson State.”

In an era of lavish facilities and billion-dollar TV contracts for major conferences, most HBCU athletic departments are struggling to get by because of a lack of funding.

But that didn’t deter Coleman from signing with Jackson State, an FCS member that competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Tigers finished 11-2 in Sanders’ second season as coach.

“I also wanted to go to an HBCU and shine the light on historically Black colleges,” said Coleman, who is 5 foot 11 and 170 pounds. “Going to an HBCU, you have to know the players make the school, the school don’t make the players. You have to be mentally and physically ready for that. You have to stay focused and stay disciplined at all times.”

Coleman’s coach at the Polynesian Bowl is Doug Williams, who played quarterback at HBCU institution Grambling State before embarking on an 11-year professional career. He also had two stints as Grambling State coach.

“Talent-wise, whatever he can do anywhere else, he can do at Jackson,” Williams said of Coleman.

Coleman and Williams will be on the Makai team, which will face Mauka on Saturday at Kamehameha. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

Coleman made his commitment to Jackson State on Jan. 8 at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

He said he made his decision about three weeks before the announcement, which was broadcast live during the game.

“Yeah, I didn’t tell anyone. I shocked everyone,” said Coleman, who also considered Miami, Florida State, Oregon and USC.

Coleman had 37 receptions for 985 yards and 17 touchdowns, and also rushed for 435 yards and six touchdowns this season for St. Mary’s, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“I’m a leader. I want to control the game at my tempo and I’m going to score — I’m electric,” he said. “I get the ball in my hands, expect a big play.”

Coleman is looking forward to playing at Jackson State with Travis Hunter, a 5-star cornerback out of Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga., who also surprised many by signing with the Tigers. Hunter is considered to be the top player in the country.

“Me and Travis, we are like brothers, my best friend,” said Coleman, who added he’s known Hunter for about a year. “The program is going up. I feel like I’m the best receiver in the country and he’s the best corner. Going against each other every day at practice, iron versus iron, it’s about getting better each and every day.”

Williams, the Makai coach, is happy Coleman and Hunter are attending Jackson State.

“Let me say this, Travis and Coleman, people ask them why they want to go to Jackson State and they talk about (not going to) Florida State and Miami,” said Williams, a senior adviser for the Washington Football Team. “I tip my hat to these two guys for making that choice. They did something that a lot of people want to do, but they don’t do it.”

Williams played nine seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington, and two more in the USFL. His playing career spanned the 1980s, when Black quarterbacks were few and far between. Williams was among six Black quarterbacks to start an NFL game during the decade.

“When I got to Grambling, it wasn’t about Black quarterbacks, it was just the quarterback,” he said. “When I got to the NFL, it became ‘Black quarterback,’ but I was fortunate to have a coach named Eddie Robinson who didn’t talk Black or white. He talked quarterback and he made us feel like no matter where we are, we can do the same things they do.”

There are 17 Black quarterbacks on NFL rosters this season, most notably Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson.

“I see these young guys today and I take my hat off to all of them,” said Williams, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII while with Washington. “They don’t have to deal with the ‘Black quarterback’ and all that. When I was coming out, it was ‘Tampa Bay’s Black quarterback’ and ‘Doug Williams, the Black quarterback.’ That’s not what it is today. These guys are getting opportunities that they deserve and there’s a lot more guys who didn’t get the opportunity, who deserved an opportunity. Hopefully, they’ll get there soon.”

Williams has made it known he wants to see more minority hirings for NFL head coaching positions. Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is currently the only Black head coach in the NFL. Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins and David Culley of the Houston Texans were recently fired.

“You’re talking about the NFL, you have 32 owners, and the owners got to look at it from a realistic standpoint and quit recycling guys and dealing with guys because they feel comfortable with them,” Williams said. “That’s not what it’s about. It’s about coaching the team. And we have a lot of Black coaches out there who deserve an opportunity to be coaching in the National Football League. They’re going to say it ain’t about the color, but it is about the color at the end of the day, but you can’t tell them that.”