opened<\/a> up about his journey.<\/p>\nColes, now in his late 40s, recently stood outside a Target in Jacksonville when an elderly shopper approached him. Unaware of his past as one of the league\u2019s most productive wide receivers in the early 2000s, she saw only a police officer in tactical gear. \u201cI feel safe with you here,\u201d she told him. The comment left a lasting impression. \u201cMeant the world to me,\u201d Coles said, calling it the most rewarding moment of his journey into law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Coles\u2019 decision to join the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office has puzzled many who know him. Over 10 NFL seasons \u2014 including seven with the New York Jets \u2014 he earned roughly $42 million. He has said money played no role in his career change, noting that his police salary is a fraction of his playing income. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a money thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Instead, Coles said he was searching for purpose. Raised in Jacksonville, he became a local star at Ribault High School before playing at Florida State under legendary coach Bobby Bowden. \u201cI want people to understand that no matter what stage you\u2019re in, it\u2019s never too late to get up and do something,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After retiring from football in 2009, Coles explored several ventures, including business investments, community programs, and time spent with his children. He eventually earned an online degree in criminology, which reignited an interest in policing. Encouraged by friends in the sheriff\u2019s department, he enrolled in the academy at age 47.<\/p>\n
The move sparked mixed reactions. Some praised his commitment to service, while others worried about his safety or questioned the optics. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that America loves, like football,\u201d Coles said. \u201cPeople\u2019s opinions, especially the people that are closest to me, really matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Jets teammate Wayne Chrebet supported him without hesitation. \u201cAfter everything he\u2019s done in his life, to do this in his late 40s, I was like, \u2018This is incredible,\u2019\u201d Chrebet said.<\/p>\n
Coles\u2019 life has long intersected with the justice system \u2014 on both sides. As a college athlete, he faced arrests that derailed his standing at Florida State and damaged his draft stock. Looking back, he now views those moments differently. \u201cReally, being honest, it was the best thing that happened to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Few knew at the time that Coles was also carrying trauma from childhood sexual abuse at the hands of his stepfather, who later served prison time. Coles has said a police officer helped him feel safe when he finally disclosed the abuse \u2014 an experience that shaped his view of law enforcement. \u201cNow,\u201d he said, smiling, \u201cI\u2019m actually the one pulling up to the scene trying to make things better.\u201d<\/p>\n
The academy tested him physically and mentally. Despite multiple hip surgeries and lingering injuries from football, Coles completed hundreds of hours of mandatory training. There were moments he considered quitting, but he pushed forward. \u201cDad never quits anything,\u201d he recalled his son once saying.<\/p>\n
Now assigned to Jacksonville\u2019s Riverside district, Coles responds to crashes, domestic disputes, and thefts. He has also encountered moments that challenge his emotions, including issuing a citation to an elderly man caught stealing groceries. \u201cMy heart felt for him,\u201d Coles said. \u201cI know he made a bad decision, but a bad decision shouldn\u2019t define your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coles says his past allows him to connect with people in crisis. \u201cAnything about his past, to be on the other side of that, it\u2019s kind of like a full-circle thing,\u201d Chrebet said.<\/p>\n
For Coles, the uniform represents something football never could. \u201cIt gives me a sense of purpose,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether I\u2019m here or not, police are patrolling the streets. I just want to do my part.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED CONTENT: <\/strong>Shaq Takes On New Role With Georgia Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Mary Spiller December 29, 2025 Coles spent nearly a decade outrunning defenders in the NFL. Laveranues Coles…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":478814,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,216881,3188,723,45983,7310,16047,216880,203170,125013,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-478813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-community-policing","10":"tag-fl","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-florida-state","13":"tag-jacksonville","14":"tag-jacksonville-sheriffs-office","15":"tag-laveranues-coles","16":"tag-nfl-career","17":"tag-police-academy","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-united-states-of-america","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115805651255240149","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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