Archive for June, 2010
Bengals Benson Arrested
Jun 30th
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Just when things are starting to look up for Cincinnati, things begin to unravel. There is a reason a team like the Colts places such great emphasis on recruiting and retaining high character guys and demands maturity. Imagine what life must be like for Bengals fans and players who have a great deal to look forward to this season, to learn that a player that played a big role in the success of your offense gets in trouble off of the field. If that was not a enough, Benson has a history of legal troubles that increase the likelihood that NFL Commission Roger Goodell will step in, potentially issuing a suspension for a violation of the player personal conduct rules.
The arrest was for allegedly punching a bartender in Austin, Texas in late May.
More on the story here from Adam Schefter with ESPN.
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Colts Running Back Donald Brown Taking On a New Role?
Jun 30th
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After Colts starting running back Joseph Addai suffered through a series of injuries in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, it made a lot of sense for the Colts to draft a running back in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. They chose the nation’s leading rusher, Donald Brown out of the University of Connecticut. Then, Addai put together his best and healthiest performance since his rookie season in 2006.
No, Addai did not approach the production of his sophomore season in the NFL, but he did show the he still had the speed, the pop, and the toughness to be a force as a primary back. Brown, on the other hand, dealt with his own nicks and bruises that kept him from participating and being effective in a number of contests. He did show impressive speed and quickness, however, and left many fans thinking that all he would need is a crease to really cause damage.
This year Brown will move beyond his “God damn it Donald” moments and will be more comfortable in the Colts offense. He will also enter 2010 with NFL experience, an understanding of how fast the NFL game is played, and will use his experiences from a season ago to get ready physically for the beating professional backs take throughout the season. After all, no one should be more prepared or capable to do so than Brown, he has a degree in exercise science and is known for being meticulous with his diet and physical health.
Scott Boehm | Getty Images
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Profiling Colts Rookie Quarterback Tim Hiller
Jun 30th
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Dean Hare | Kalamazoo Gazette Photo
| Stats Overview | Passing | |||||||||
| YEAR | CMP | ATT | YDS | CMP% | YPA | LNG | TD | INT | SACK | RAT |
| 2005 | 98 | 150 | 1334 | 65.3 | 8.89 | 89 | 20 | 3 | 12 | 180.03 |
| 2007 | 267 | 421 | 3021 | 63.4 | 7.18 | 77 | 20 | 15 | 23 | 132.25 |
| 2008 | 339 | 522 | 3725 | 64.9 | 7.14 | 56 | 36 | 10 | 14 | 143.81 |
| 2009 | 309 | 514 | 3258 | 60.1 | 6.34 | 73 | 23 | 13 | 24 | 123.07 |
Stats from ESPN.com
Tim Hiller finished his career at Western Michigan as the most productive quarterback in its history. Hiller accumulated 11,329 yards and 99 touchdowns. Hiller also finished college with a 4.0 GPA, continuing the Colts tradition of signing players known for academic success, and earned himself a Wuerffel Trophy and John S. Pingel Award as the Michigan college athlete of the year. One of the more interesting things Hiller did as a collegiate player is finish the final three games of his senior season with a torn left ACL, which certainly displays a great deal of toughness.
While Hiller started his senior year rated much higher against other NFL-hopeful quarterbacks than he finished, leading him to going undrafted, he played on a 5-7 Western Michigan team that squandered performances like one against Central Michigan where Hiller connected on 40 of 66 passes for 410 yards.
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Colts Release Training Camp Schedule
Jun 29th
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For all those hoping to make plans for training camp, the following dates and times have been released by the team for camp activities at Anderson University.
Sunday, August 1 Players report by 2:00 p.m.
Monday, August 2 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 3 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)
Wednesday, August 4 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 5 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)
Friday, August 6 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 7 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 8 NO PRACTICE
Monday, August 9 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)
Tuesday, August 10 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 11 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 12 3:30 p.m. (p.m. session is special teams only)
Friday, August 13 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 14 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 15 San Francisco vs. Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, 1:00 p.m.
Monday, August 16 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 17 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 18 9:30 a.m., BREAK CAMP
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Former Home of Larry Bird on Market in French Lick
Jun 29th
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For those who are interested in keeping tabs on Indiana sports icons, Larry Bird’s former home in French Lick, Indiana is listed for sale at $1.95 million. The home was featured in the movie “Blue Chips” and also was the location for the famous Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Converse commercial years ago. The commercial is below with a link to the listing if people are interested in seeing where Bird lived.
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Bill Polian Indicates Colts Considering Carrying Three Quarterbacks
Jun 28th
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Last season the Colts did something out of the ordinary when they made final cuts, they retained three quarterbacks on the regular season roster. The last time the Colts carried three quarterbacks was in 2003, when Brock Huard and Cory Sauter joined Peyton Manning as backups in Manning’s third season.
It was widely popular that the Colts chose to do so because Jim Sorgi, Colts sole backup from 2004 to 2008 had knowledge and experience of the Colts offense that rookie Curtis Painter could not acquire in the short months leading up to the regular season. It was realistic to be concerned that releasing Sorgi prior to the regular season would encourage teams to sign him just for his insight into the offense as well. When Sorgi was released, it seemed clear that the Colts were confident in Painter’s physical abilities and were intent with him filling the primary backup role.
In fact, Colts President Bill Polian confirmed that the Colts are happy with Painter as Manning’s insurance policy. He also suggested that the Colts are allowing the other young quarterbacks to compete for a potential third spot on the regular season roster, somewhat surprising given the team’s history.
Matt Detrich | Associated Press Photo
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Colts Rookie TE Eldridge Makes Positive First Impression
Jun 28th
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If one thing has proved true about the Colts it is that getting information out of the team about players, particularly when it is not required, is a rarity. Additionally, when the team sings a young player’s praises early on, the outcome tends to prove them out.
Last year, Austin Collie earned early support from the team with a strong work ethic and promising future. He went on to be the most productive rookie wide receiver in the NFL. Rookie cornerback Jerraud Powers was lauded for his uncharacteristic maturity and attention to details. He earned a starting spot that he kept throughout the entire season, when healthy. Other young players, while not in their rookie seasons, who sparked attention from Colts front office ended up playing important roles in the team’s success. These players include Pierre Garçon in 2009, Eric Foster in 2008, Melvin Bullitt in 2008, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden in 2007, and so on.
After participating in the Colts organized team activities (OTAs) Brody Eldridge has been called a “diamond in the rough.” Pro Football Weekly reports that an unnamed source with the Colts organization stated, “He was really impressive in the OTAs. For a big guy, he is really athletic and showed a lot as a receiver. If teams forget about him, he could be a factor.”
Sue Ogrocki | Associated Press Photo
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Nate Dunlevy’s “Blue Blood” Now Available
Jun 28th
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While much of the Colts blogosphere is pining to achieve some level of legitimacy, enough to possibly gain a little access to some of the players and staff with the Colts franchise. Another Colts blogger, Nate Dunlevy of 18 to 88, is taking that effort to a new level.
Dunlevy recently completed, published, and released the book “Blue Blood: Tales of Glory of the Indianapolis Colts.” This book promises to provide a history of the Colts in Indianapolis, help solidify the story of the Colts since they moved to Indy in 1984. The fact is that few authors have really sought out to capture the story of the Colts since that move, and even fewer have succeeded in doing so.
Diehard fans, or interested football lovers who have enjoyed the rise of the Colts since Peyton Manning joined the team should purchase Dunlevy’s book, support all of the work he has done for free, and get a holistic view of how the Colts have reached where they are today.
Brett Mock | Coltzilla
Blue Blood Cover
CLICK HERE for more details!
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The Role of Safeties in the Colts Defense
Jun 28th
The Indianapolis Colts have traditionally required a great deal out of their safeties. In years past the safeties played a key role in the run defense, often with Bob Sanders or Melvin Bullitt sneaking up close to the line of scrimmage to act as a fourth linebacker. Last year, in defensive coordinator Larry Coyer’s first season, the safeties returned to more of a traditional role generally, staying deep to provide support in pass coverage, sometimes coming up to blitz rather than in pure run support.
This year promises to potentially change things even more. For the first time since the playoffs in 2006, the Colts interior defensive line is beginning to take legitimate form. Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir, Eric Foster, and Fili Moala promise to present a solid front along the interior against the run. It is expected that Moala will show real progress this year and the Colts have added other positive potential players to boost that depth in Mitch King and Ricardo Mathews. Ultimately, this should help Coyer keep the safeties in a more traditional capacity, covering passing lanes, possibly in blitz packages, and as third level run defenders instead of as make-shift linebackers.
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