WATCH: After 23 years behind bars, innocent man returns to his old job as White Sox groundskeeper

A great tale of justice, perseverance, and second chances: 

Nevest Coleman officially started as a Chicago White Sox groundskeeper Monday after spending more than two decades behind bars for crimes he didn’t commit. Coleman, 49, reflected on returning to his old job, reuniting with his family and his championship hopes for the White Sox.

“I was proud of come back here,” Coleman told CBS News in phone interview. “I love the atmosphere.”

Coleman’s day began with power-washing the entrance to Guaranteed Rate Field where the team’s 2005 World Series commemoration plaza and sculpture are located, CBS Chicago reports.

His situation now is vastly different than it was over the last 23 years, when he was sitting in jail as an innocent man. He kept out of trouble, spent most of his time reading books, such as those in the popular “Game of Thrones” and “Harry Potter” series, and tried to avoid the “routine” of television.

When asked what kept him going, he replied, “My family.”

“I know I didn’t do it,” he said. “My family was always behind me. My goal was to see everybody.”

In November, Coleman was released from prison after DNA evidence led prosecutors to vacate his conviction in a 1994 rape and murder. A county judge granted him a certificate of innocence this month.

Check out the video below: