INDIANAPOLIS — As successful as the Indianapolis Colts franchise has been in recent years, the franchise’s winning ways has every bit to do with the players the Colts didn’t draft each April as it does with the players that weren’t selected.
For every Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Tony Ugoh, Anthony Gonzalez, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, Marlin Jackson or Kelvin Hayden that Indianapolis took in either the first or second rounds of the National Football League draft — not to mention mid-and-lower round picks such as Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea, Ryan Diem, Charlie Johnson, and Keyunta Dawson — there are players such as Jeff Saturday, Dominic Rhodes, Gary Brackett, Melvin Bullitt and Eric Foster who had to sit and play the waiting game each spring.
Saturday, who has become a three-time Pro Bowl selection at center for the Colts, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in April 1998 and was ultimately released three months later. In January 1999, the former three-year starter at North Carolina inked a free agent deal with Indianapolis.
Rhodes, meanwhile, came to Indianapolis as an unknown running back from Midwestern (Texas) State University in April 2001. In the intervening years, the Waco, Texas native has become a valuable member of the Colts’ running back rotation, first with former Indianapolis running back Edgerrin James and now with Addai. He set an NFL record in his first year with the team, running for 1,104 yards en route to becoming the first undrafted rookie in league history to break the 1,000 yard mark.
The addition of Brackett in 2003, Bullitt last year and Foster this season have helped to energize a defensive unit that continues to search for an identity. All three have spent time as starters and all three have made key plays since coming to the Colts, such as Brackett’s 68-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Houston last month or Foster’s two goal-line tackles of Pittsburgh running back Mewelde Moore in the team’s 24-20 win over the Steelers a week ago.
Bullitt, who has a team-leading three interceptions in 2008, came up with the game-saving play at the end of last Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh, making a somewhat miraculous behind the back grab of Ben Roethlisberger’s Hail Mary heave into the end zone.
“Those guys [Foster and Bullitt] were good college players. They did things in their college system very similar to what we do. We saw them playing in a style that is similar to ours, so we felt that they could come in and help us,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said late last week.
“I guess that you’re always a little surprised when guys end up starting and playing all the time. But we’ve had that with a lot of guys. Gary [Brackett] and Dominic [Rhodes] and Jeff Saturday. We’ve had a lot of guys [make the team as undrafted free agents], so I can’t say that I’ve ever been surprised.”
Dungy says a large amount of the credit for Indianapolis’ success with undrafted free agents goes back to work done by the team’s college scouting department and team president Bill Polian.
“I think that speaks to a couple of things, number one out personnel people and their ability to find players. You always have a lot of players that you’d like to draft and you only have seven picks, so you can’t draft everyone. We have good a good job of identifying guys who fit what we do,” Dungy explained.
“Then our coaches have done a good job of coaching them and not saying, ‘If this guy’s not a draft choice, he can’t help us.’ It starts in April when they get here and they work with those guys. Putting good players together with good coaches and you get some productivity. We’ve been able to do that and find some guys that really help us.”
Some players, like Foster, figure that if they aren’t drafted, then they have more of a choice of where they’re going to eventually end up. Although he admits that sitting and watching television during the two days of the draft, waiting for a phone call from an NFL team, it isn’t the most entertaining way to spend a weekend.
“It’s tough on you. You’re sitting there and hoping that your name comes up [on television]. You come off a college season where you believe that you’re one of the better players at your position in the country. And then all the names come up [on television] and you don’t hear yours,” he recalled.
“But then you finally realize that you aren’t going to be drafted. Teams start to call you and ask about signing with them as a free agent. I knew, though, that if I wasn’t going to be drafted, I wanted to play for the Colts. They were the top team on my list. They like undersized defensive linemen and they give guys like me a chance. This is where I wanted to be. And things have worked out for me here this year.”
College
Diamonds in the rough: Finding players like Foster, Bullitt key for Colts
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Indiana State connects on all 12 of its 3-point shots vs. SIU and sets three NCAA records in process
When you’re a shooter and you’re in a slump, the boilerplate cure is to summon amnesia, forget about your struggles and keep on shooting.
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ISU's Webb wins heptathlon
Indiana State’s Robert Webb captured the heptathlon Saturday at the Grand Valley State Big Meet as he totaled the second most points in ISU history while dominating the event. Webb scored 5,140 points, which is second only to former Sycamore Anthony Bertoli’s 5,189 points in 2008.
Webb, a senior, established three more personal best efforts enroute to the overall victory as he ran 8.45 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2 minutes, 50.73 seconds in the 1,000 meters while also clearing 13-1 1/2 in the pole vault. Webb entered the second day of the event in the lead with 2,893 points after winning three of the four Friday events and setting personal bests in the long jump and shot put. -
Perfect game: ISU shoots NCAA record 12-for-12 from 3-point range in win over SIU
Indiana State set an NCAA record for 3-point percentage and consecutive 3-pointers made Saturday afternoon in Hulman Center, connecting on all 12 attempts during a 78-68 win over Southern Illinois.
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‘Frustrated’ Sycamores regroup to face Southern Illinois
Indiana State’s men’s basketball struggles have hit one Sycamore senior hard.
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Thomas nets double-double as ISU women end losing streak
The halftime speech is one of the most time-worn clichés in sports, but once in a while, it’s meaningful. It certainly was for the Indiana State women’s basketball team on Friday against Bradley.
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Sycamore women looking to snap six-game losing streak
The Indiana State women’s basketball team is in dire need of a victory in Hulman Center this weekend.
Bradley visits Terre Haute tonight looking to sweep the season series from the Sycamores, who are in jeopardy of the program’s first seven-game losing streak since the 1995-96 season.
“I think it should [add to motivation]. There’s no doubt that group in the locker room in there is very disappointed,” Coach Teri Moren said. “As I keep saying, we’re in a rough patch right now, and there’s no group of kids that wants to get right back on track more than they do.” -
Leonard dominates in first half, but IU, Zeller earn the victory
The first half belonged to Illinois’ Meyers Leonard.
The win belonged to Indiana and Cody Zeller.
The 23rd-ranked Hoosiers (19-6, 7-6 Big Ten) took advantage of a glaring free-throw discrepancy to defeat the Illini 84-71 on Thursday. -
Rose women roll; Dickerson becomes all-time assists leader
Rose-Hulman senior Alisa Dickerson became the college’s career leader in assists as the Engineers cruised past Defiance 60-33 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball Saturday afternoon in Hulbert Arena.
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MVC’s worst a tantalizing option for ISU
Even though the Indiana State men’s basketball team has played better of late, having won three of its last four games, there’s only one team with a worse record in the Missouri Valley Conference standings than the Sycamores.
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Sycamores can’t stop Stutz, Shockers
All or nothing. It was that kind of game for Wichita State center Garrett Stutz. Unfortunately for Indiana State’s men’s basketball team, the “all” came in the second half.
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McWhorter’s fortunes rise with ISU’s
More so than any other Sycamore, Steve McWhorter might embody the decline and the recent rise of the Indiana State men’s basketball team.
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Johnson dominates again for ISU track
Felisha Johnson continued to dominate women’s weight throw while two Indiana State hurdlers moved into today’s finals after solid performances in the preliminaries Friday at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.
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Indiana State women lose at Illinois State
Playing short-handed again, Indiana State’s women suffered their sixth straight Missouri Valley Conference basketball loss Friday night, falling 78-67 to host Illinois State.
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Indiana, Purdue meet with both looking to regain momentum
Indiana University’s stint in the Top 25 may be coming to an end. Purdue is just looking for a winning streak.
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ISU women looking to end five-game losing streak at Illinois State
Within a few points in the final minutes, Indiana State had chances to win women’s basketball games at Missouri State and Wichita State last weekend.
But the Sycamores lost for the fourth and fifth straight games, also losing freshman Jessica Valley for the season at Wichita State. The promising backcourt player tore the ACL in her right knee and began strengthening exercises this week in order to make plans for surgery. -
ISU Senior Day game to be televised on ESPN
The Missouri Valley Conference announced Thursday that Indiana State’s regular season finale against No. 12-ranked Creighton on Feb. 25 in Hulman Center has been chosen as the MVC’s “wild card” game that will be telecast on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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Hoosiers load up on in-state players
With a 1-11 record in his first season as IU football coach, Kevin Wilson knew there were a lot of holes to fill in terms of personnel.
- Wabash Valley verbal commitments
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It’s on: Sycamores, Bulldogs to play at Hinkle on Feb. 18
How badly did Indiana State want to get Butler as its BracketBusters opponent?
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METRO ROUNDUP: Four from Rose receive weekly honors
Four Rose-Hulman athletes earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekly honors, the HCAC announced Monday.
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Hoosiers reclaim needed offensive momentum
Indiana hadn’t allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent in three straight games heading into Sunday’s home game against Iowa.
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Sycamores will have to match Aces’ toughness
Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing has an enduring respect for the toughness Evansville coach Marty Simmons coaxes out of his Purple Aces.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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ISU's Stacia Weatherford sets school record in 60-meter hurdles
Indiana State junior Stacia Weatherford set the school record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, while sophomore Greggmar Swift dominated the action in the men’s 60 hurdles during competition Saturday at the Indiana Relays.
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Rose takes first in Engineer Track and Field Invitational
Rose-Hulman relied on nine event victories, 13 top-two finishes and three school records for a strong performance at the ninth annual Engineer Track and Field Invitational on Saturday.
The men’s squad captured first place honors in a meet that featured two of the nation's top 20 NCAA Division III squads and 12 institutions from seven states. The day’s competition also included 10 meet records. -
Mattox’s 31 not enough for ISU women
Indiana State pulled within 63-57 with a 6-0 run with 8 minutes, 50 seconds remaining Friday night at JQH Arena, but the Sycamores lost 84-70 to host Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game.
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Mattox, Sycamores staying positive on road trip to Missouri State, Wichita State
Indiana State seniors Brittany Schoen and Deja Mattox are within striking distance of passing 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers, and they would join classmate Shannon Thomas in that club. Schoen needs just 16 points, while Mattox is 89 points away.
But Mattox has been on a roll of late, scoring a team-high 15.1 points through ISU’s 4-3 start to Missouri Valley Conference play. -
IU triumphs
When Indiana’s Will Sheehey left the floor after receiving his second technical foul, the Hoosier fans cheered.
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ISU women nipped at buzzer
Creighton sophomore Carli Tritz — blanketed by Indiana State senior Brittany Schoen — had just two points at halftime Friday in Hulman Center.
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ISU needs to find chip on its shoulder
When one looks back at the totality of Indiana State’s 2010-11 men’s basketball season, there’s a recurrent theme that tied together the high points in a 20-14 campaign. A recurrent theme that might give ISU a lifeline in what has been a disappointing 2012 season.
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