C. J. Coldon

C. J. Coldon (born September 3, 1998) is an American professional football defensive back for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Wyoming and Oklahoma.

C. J. Coldon

Coldon with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2025
No. 36 – Ottawa Redblacks
Position:	Defensive back
Personal information
Born:	(1998-09-03) September 3, 1998 (age 26) Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school:	Althoff Catholic (Belleville)
College:	Wyoming (2017–2021) Oklahoma (2022)
NFL draft:	2023: undrafted
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2023)* Saskatchewan Roughriders (2024)* Massachusetts Pirates (2024) Ottawa Redblacks (2024–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
CFL status:	American
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Mountain West (2021)
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Stats at CFL.ca

Early life

C. J. Coldon was born on September 3, 1998, in Belleville, Illinois.^[1] He played high school football at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville.^[2] He recorded high school career totals of 84 solo tackles, 42 assisted tackles, and four interceptions on defense while also catching 126 passes for 2,277 yards and 24 touchdowns on offense.^[2] Coldon was named first-team all-state as a senior.^[2] In the class of 2017, he was rated a three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.^[2]

College career

Coldon first played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys of the University of Wyoming. He was redshirted in 2017.^[3] He only played in three games in 2018 after suffering nerve damage to his left shoulder, recording six solo tackles, three assisted tackles, and one pass breakup.^[4][3] Coldon started the first three games of the 2019 season, totaling 11 solo tackles, three assisted tackles, one fumble recovery, and two pass breakups, before missing the rest of the year with a torn ACL.^[2][3][4] He started all six games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, recording 17 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles, five pass breakups, and a team-high two interceptions.^[3] He started all 13 games in 2021, recording 48 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, one sack, ten pass breakups, and one fumble recovery.^[5][3] Coldon earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors for his performance during the 2021 season.^[3] He graduated from Wyoming with a bachelor's degree in American studies.^[3][6]

Coldon transferred to play for the Oklahoma Sooners of the University of Oklahoma in 2022. He appeared in 12 games, starting four, during the 2022 season, totaling 26 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles, four interceptions, and six pass breakups.^[3] He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 by the coaches.^[3] At Oklahoma, Coldon majored in African and African American studies.^[3]

Professional career

At Oklahoma's pro day, Coldon recorded a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, a 4.24-second short shuttle, a 37.5-inch vertical jump, and a 10'5" broad jump.^[6] Coldon signed with the Minnesota Vikings on May 12, 2023, after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft.^[7] He was waived on August 28, and signed to the practice squad on August 30.^[7] He was released by Minnesota on November 1, 2023.^[7]

Coldon was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on February 1, 2024.^[7] He was released on June 1, 2024.^[7] Coldon then briefly played for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL) during the 2024 IFL season, posting two solo tackles, one assisted tackle, and one pass breakup in one game.^[8]

Coldon was signed to the practice roster of the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks on September 3, 2024.^[7] He was promoted to the active roster on September 27.^[7] He started the next day's game against his former team, Saskatchewan, posting seven defensive tackles, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups in a 29–16 loss.^[9][10][11] Coldon was moved back to the practice roster on October 12.^[7] He was signed to a futures contract on November 4, 2024.^[7]