As I wrote in today's newspaper column, Laveranues Coles has stepped up at a critical time for the Jets. It's when this team needs "a mensch" the most, and Coles has filled the role quite nicely.
It's been interesting to watch Coles grow as a football player and a human being. I remember when he was first drafted by Bill Parcells and Al Groh in 2000, he had the biggest chip on his shoulder of a player I've ever seen. He wanted desperately to prove himself after being kicked off the Florida State team for several off-field infractions.
He turned into a terrific receiver, and even after he forced his way out of New York in a trade with the Redskins, he soon realized that the grass wasn't any greener in Washington. He didn't like playing for Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs, and soon lobbied to get back to New York. He told me over the summer that he wants to finish his career in a Jets' uniform.
It's another reason he has turned into the Jets' stand-up guy in a season gone wrong.