As his older brothers heads to the NFL, Althoff star looking forward to breakout season
With an Under Armour Camp invite and appearance already on his resume, Althoff Catholic High School sophomore Charleston Coldon is motivated to continue working toward a bright future in football.
This year’s Under Armour ESPN Camp was April 16 in Kansas City, featuring some of the elite football athletes from all over the country.
During the camp, Coldon was one of two athletes to earn Defensive Back MVP honors. He received a Under Armour Future 50 invitation after the camp which are extended to 50 underclassmen who will train and compete at a two-day summer camp in Bradenton, Florida.
Some of the alumni from the camp have gone on to play at the NCAA Division I level and beyond. New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, Buffalo Bills’ Ed Oliver and Green Bay Packers’ Rashan Gary are among them.
“I never played defense until I went to high school, so it was a big step,” Coldon said. “I was thankful for the work I put in, started to see that it was actually paying off.”
Coldon has been a starter for the Crusaders since he was freshman. He was a top three receiver in the South Seven Conference during the 2022-23 season. Coldon racked up 41 catches (ranked second) for 476 yards (ranked fourth) while snagging four touchdowns (tied for third).
“I’m grateful that I’m gifted on both sides of the ball, and I use that to my advantage,” Coldon said.
He said the Althoff coaching staff has influenced him to put in extra hours working on his game and watching film to demonstrate being a leader on the team.
“I’m looking forward to a big year coming out as a football team,” Coldon said. “Win state.”
One of his personal goals is to break his brother’s receiving school-record. CJ Coldon was the first receiver to breach 1,000 yards season at Althoff. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent April 30.
“I have always been following in his footsteps and I just try to make a name for myself,” Coldon said. “That just always pushes me to work harder.”
Charleston’s brother was a 3-star recruit coming out of Althoff Catholic High School in 2017. He earned Class 4A All-State honors as a wide out during his senior season as a Crusader. The he went on to play at Wyoming for three years before transferring to Oklahoma in his last year of eligibility, where he received All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2022. He entered the NFL Draft believing there was a chance he’d be taken in one of its seven rounds.
“I’m super proud of him and he has the best ahead for him,” CJ said. “He hasn’t even reached his ceiling yet.”
CJ Coldon said his younger brother is ahead of the curve, when he compares himself and expects Charleston to exceed at a high level while headed into the upcoming season.
“I see him making that big jump and becoming All-State at one of those positions he plays and taking his game to the next level,” CJ said. “He wants it as bad as I want it for him.”
Crusaders coach offers high praise
Althoff coach Austin Frazier says he sees the similarities between Charleston and CJ.
But Frazier says Charleston is stronger and physically bigger than CJ at that same age.
“While there are a ton of similarities, Charleston brings something different to the table than his brother,” Frazier said. “It’s fun to see some of those differences.”
Frazier said he felt confident putting Charleston in the defensive role this past season and that strength, speed and intelligence puts him ahead of other athletes at his level.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Frazier said.
