Coles earns respect of his teammates- Fox Sports

[Kentucky Jet]

Coles earns respect of Jets teammates

Associated Press, Updated 40 minutes ago STORY TOOLS:

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) - Laveranues Coles' teammates were waiting for him when he arrived at the New York Jets' practice facility Monday as a newly elected team captain.

"Oh, man," Coles said with a laugh. "I didn't even get a chance to change into my clothes this morning and they were already putting in requests."

The veteran wide receiver will be an even more popular guy in the locker room this season after being selected by the players Sunday as one of the team captains. Coles will join quarterback Chad Pennington on offense, Jonathan Vilma and Shaun Ellis on defense, and Mike Nugent and Brad Kassell on special teams as pipelines between the players and coach Eric Mangini.

"I'm not a very vocal person," said Coles, the team MVP last year. "I've always been a jokester, but for the guys to pick me and pretty much allow me to be the voice of the team, especially to go up there and talk to coach and express what they feel and what they want to get done this season, it's an honor."

While it's true that Coles has never been one of the loudest players in the locker room, he has always been one to say what's on his mind when asked. That candid approach would appear to be the opposite of the reticent Mangini's idea of his ideal player.

Not so, said Mangini.

"He says what he feels," Mangini said. "I like that. I like the way that he's giving me feedback. That stuff is important."

Coles was the first player to openly criticize Mangini's tough training camp last summer, and did the same this year, saying he was just happy to survive. He also expressed his frustration a few times last season about his role and the way the offense was struggling. Coles is also credited with nicknaming Mangini "The Penguin" last season for the coach's shape and the way he walks.

"It's good to have him in the locker room, because when things get tough and guys are tired of working, he comes in and loosens us up a little bit with a joke here and a joke there," running back Leon Washington said. "He keeps the fun in the locker room."

To Coles' credit, he's been able to get away with all of that - and gain a fan in Mangini in the process.

"The one thing that I respect so much about him is the caring that he has for his teammates," Mangini said. "He's a very selfless guy. He's one of those guys where if you're stuck at the airport and nobody is picking up the phone at home, you could call him and he'd come get you."

Coles has gone from being perceived as