Patriots legend Ben Coates voted into Black College Football Hall of Fame

Already a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame and the NFL’s Team of the 1990s, Ben Coates will soon be able to also call himself a Black College Football Hall of Famer. As was announced on Tuesday, the former Patriots tight end is part if this year’s class of enshrinees.

Coates is one of seven men to receive the honor this season:

A standout performer at Livingstone College, where he set multiple school records, Coates joined the Patriots as a fifth-round draft choice in 1991. Over the next nine years he established himself as one of football’s best tight ends, earning five Pro Bowl nominations and twice being named a first-team All-Pro.

In total, Coates appeared in 149 regular season and playoff games during his Patriots career. He caught a combined 512 passes for 5,675 yards and 51 touchdowns before leaving for a one-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000; Coates earned his lone Super Bowl ring that year and announced his retirement shortly thereafter.

In 2008, he was enshrined into the Patriots Hall of Fame. He will officially enter the Black College Football Hall of Fame on on June 18. The enshrinement ceremony will take place at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga.