Joe Coleman just showed The Bachelorette star Michelle Young an extremely vulnerable side of himself and their connection definitely grew.
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According to ABC, Joe has a "heart of gold" and wants to settle down, and Michelle appreciates how Joe is confident while never being the loudest guy in a room.
Michelle asked Joe to join her for a one-on-one date in her home state of Minnesota, and the pair took a trip down memory lane by visiting Michelle's high school. Joe acknowledged his relationship with Michelle was getting easier and easier with each passing day.
Michelle told Joe that he reminded her of her father, who is very "neutral" when expressing his emotions. Joe explained that his own father is very reserved and he had only seen his dad cry twice in life.
As Joe continued to open up like never before, Michelle gushed about how her feelings for Joe had "grown tremendously."
"Today was the most powerful, special, perfect, stars-aligning date I've ever been on," Michelle shared in a confessional.
"I feel like you had two souls that have kind of been living side by side without even knowing it, and I feel like we got brought together. And I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me and Minnesota Joe!"
Until viewers can continue to watch Joe and Michelle's romance unfold on The Bachelorette's eighteenth season, let's get to know a little more about this handsome suitor right now.
Below is a list of eight facts Reality TV World has compiled about Joe Coleman.
Joe Coleman is a Minnesota-born-and-raised city boy
Joe works as a real estate developer, property manager, and investor for single family/small multi-family properties in the Minneapolis area. He has worked full-time since November 2020.
The Bachelorette bachelor considers himself to be pretty introverted
Joe said he's "looking for a queen" to complement his goals. He wants to find a woman who is smart, caring, articulate and able to make him laugh.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWHe wants to find a partner with aligning values and would love to start a family in the near future. He hopes to find a "real one" with whom he can build something solid that will stand the test of time.
In fact, Joe wants to have at least three or four kids!
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Joe bounced back and forth between colleges
After graduating from Hopkins High School in 2011, the bachelor attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities from 2011 to 2013.
Joe then transferred to Saint Mary's College of California, which he attended from 2013 to 2015 and took Communications courses.
Joe continued his education at the University of Minnesota, where he studied Business and Marketing Education and Communication Studies from 2015-2016.
The Bachelorette bachelor played college ball
Joe played basketball as a guard at the University of Minnesota and Saint Mary's College of California.
He was named 2011 Minnesota Mr. Basketball and was a Top 100 ESPN Recruit.
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Joe had serious sports injuries that derailed his dreams
Joe broke three bones in his leg in seventh grade, which left his foot susceptible to further injuries. And then in college, Joe broke his fifth metatarsal and underwent surgery.
"But the doctor who did my surgery ended up putting too big of a screw in my foot, and it ended up splitting my fifth metatarsal in half, just completely shattering it," Joe revealed to Michelle.
Joe ended up having another intensive surgery, which resulted in Joe getting seven screws and a plate put into his left foot just to correct the error.
Joe said that was a very tough time in his life and he was never able to perform basketball the same way afterwards.
"I didn't want to be out there because I couldn't handle it mentally. It was beyond difficult. It was anxiety, depression, and there were times where I was thinking if I even still wanted to be here," Joe admitted.
Joe added, "Ball was life and that life was gone, and so, I've always had such high standards and I didn't feel like I was [reaching them]."
Joe said he was broken and "not in a good place" mentally at the time, and he recalled going to rehab constantly and having to overcome mental hurdles.
Joe said the rehab took time away from his friends and family, and so he finally gave the sport up and looked for a career that would hopefully make him happy outside of basketball.
Joe said he had to find himself again and discover new interests, which left him feeling really lost. When Joe was at his lowest, he returned home to his parents in Minnesota and said that was ultimately a good decision to make.
RELATED LINK: CLAYTON ECHARD'S 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 26 BACHELORETTES -- MEET THE WOMEN! (PHOTOS)
Joe previously worked in sports and sales
From January 2016 to October of that year, Joe worked as a digital content specialist for SportsEngine, who executed a social-media marketing strategy and covered basketball tournaments.
The following year, Joe served as a business development specialist for the same company.
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Afterward, Joe was hired by Infor software company to do business development and eventually inside sales.
Michelle slid into Joe's DMs before The Bachelorette began filming
Michelle has revealed she and Joe "messaged back and forth about basketball briefly" -- a few exchanges -- on social media before The Bachelorette kicked off filming and then he "ghosted" her.
Joe claims he had a lot going on at the time, including handling a property a few blocks away from George Floyd Square, where a lot of shootings and anxiety was going on. Joe didn't feel ready to open up to somebody at the time, and he assured Michelle that he wasn't dating anyone else when they had communicated.
Michelle could relate to Joe's struggle, especially in regards to the aftermath of George Floyd's tragic death, but she expressed to the suitor how she wished he had communicated better with her in the past and just said that he wasn't ready for a commitment yet.
"How do I know you're not going to shut down again?" Michelle asked.
"It's something I've been focusing on with myself, better understanding how my actions have affected others and how my not responding is lacking communication skills -- which is something I need to learn to be better at. And I'm working on it; I've gone to therapy," Joe explained.
Joe added, "I actually came for you," but Michelle felt the need to "protect" her heart around him.
"I do not want to get hurt," Michelle said. "The hardest part about Joe is that my heart wants to let loose but my mind is trying to guard. That guard is a red flag."
Michelle also wondered why Joe was suddenly popping up in her life again.
"Why now? Why did you wait? Is it because I'm the Bachelorette? I'm here to find my one soul mate, and at the end of this, I don't want my heart broken -- and so I'm torn," Michelle revealed.
But Joe has been receiving roses and advancing in the Season 18 competition ever since.
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Joe looks forward to traveling with his future wife
Joe would love to travel to the Galapagos Islands one day.
A couple of other fun facts about the bachelor? He is scared of spiders and love snacks!
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
