Colts camp closer to returning to Terre Haute

By Tom James

INDIANAPOLIS — It appears very likely that Indianapolis Colts players and coaches will be making the trek west to Rose-Hulman for another training camp this summer.

Colts president Bill Polian has confirmed that a decision on where the team’s preseason workouts will be located may finally be at hand. During a media availability Sunday at the National Football League Combine, Polian admitted that negotiations aimed at keeping the east side Terre Haute campus as the Colts’ training camp home for at least one more year may be close to completion. He did not provide any details concerning the length of a proposed new contract between the school and Colts.

“It looks as though it’s Terre Haute again. It’s not firmed up yet, but it’s moving closer to conclusion,” he said, admitting that both sides are hopeful of wrapping up a deal fairly quickly.

“I’d say we were in the home stretch. Our time frame for getting it done has long since passed. But we’re close,” Poian said.

While team officials have admitted in recent weeks that they had considered other potential locations, such as Anderson University, Rose-Hulman remained as the best possible home for camp activities. “It’s right for us,” Polian stressed.

• Dorsey not concerned about injury rumors — Louisiana State defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who figures to be among the top five picks in this year’s NFL Draft, disputes reports that he continues to suffer from the lingering effects of a 2006 stress fracture of his right tibia.

Dorsey had a physical at the combine Saturday but had not planned on working out for scouts. He had ratcheted down his pre-combine conditioning efforts after the recent death of his grandmother. The 6-foot-2, 316-pound defensive lineman was bothered by hamstring, knee and back injuries last fall, which limited his performance at times.

He plans on performing for NFL scouts during an on-campus workout March 26 at LSU.

After hearing scuttlebutt that he had not planned on attending the combine at all, Dorsey is taking all the attention in stride.

“I know there was a report that I wasn’t coming at all. I don’t know where that came from,” he said during a meeting with the league media Sunday. “I’m more surprised by some of the wild [rumors] out there. You wonder where they get it from. But it is what it is. I’m just trying to enjoy myself and just make sure that I’m taking care of my responsibilities. Everybody can have their opinion what they think about me or my game, but I’m going to take care of my business. That’s all that matters to me.”

As for the tibia injury, Dorsey isn’t concerned on how it will affect his draft status.

“There’s no health concerns to my knowledge. I haven’t missed a game since I’ve been at LSU. I’ve played every game since I went to LSU. Everybody gets nicked up. I don’t think it’s an issue at all,” he said.

• Keller impressive — Former Purdue tight end Dustin Keller is rapidly moving up the charts, thanks in large measure to the 4.53 and 4.54 40-yard times on Saturday. He also posted a 38-inch vertical jump and lifted 225 pounds 26 times, second most for a tight end behind California’s Craig Stevens.

If there is a downer among some teams, it’s Keller’s size (6-foot-2, 242). He’s been compared in some quarters to a more athletic Dallas Clark, which is natural since Keller’s college coach — Purdue’s Joe Tiller — gave the former Lafayette Jeff standout video tapes of the Colts tight end to watch early in his collegiate career.

Notre Dame tight John Carlson, however, could be slipping a bit in some scouts’ estimation after turning in 40 times of 4.90 and 4.98. Carlson did do a nice job of catching the ball in drills, but his lack of speed might scare off a few teams.

• Hardy has more work to do — Indiana University’s James Hardy counts himself among the top receivers available in this year’s draft. But Mike Mayock, the longtime draft guru for the NFL Network, is yet to be convinced.

“He’s kind of a hard guy to gauge,” Mayock said Sunday, “With his size and speed, he kind of reminds me of somebody like a Plaxico Burress of the [New York] Giants. But I did his [Insight.com] bowl game and I didn’t see what I had hoped to see. He dropped some passes that I thought he should have caught. I’m concerned about his concentration and his consistency.”

• Fast times — Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and East Carolina’s Chris Johnson stunned the usual laid-back media with their respective 40 times Sunday.

McFadden, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up, was clocked at 4.33 in his first attempt. Johnson, though, led all running backs with a 4.24 clocking. Houston’s Anthony Alridge and Texas’ Jamaal Charles had times of 4.36 and 4.38.

• Sad day for Florida State receiver — De’Cody Fagg, a wide receiver from Florida State, suffered a serious knee injury Sunday at the RCA Dome.

Fagg hurt his left knee during a sideline receiving drill and was taken off the field on a stretcher by medical personnel. There were no further reports on Fagg’s condition. He was expected to be a middle- to late-round draft pick.

• Former Sycamores on hand Sunday — Former Indiana State safety Alvin Reynolds, recently named as the Atlanta Falcons’ secondary coach, made a brief appearance at the combine Sunday before heading back to his hotel room.

Reynolds, who had been the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary coach, was limping around the Indiana Convention Center on crutches after suffering a ruptured right Achilles’ tendon a few weeks ago. He will be returning to the RCA Dome today and Tuesday to watch the defensive backs take part in workouts.

Also on hand Sunday were ex-ISU punter Bill Edwards and former Indiana State manager/administrative assistant Mike Ornstein. Ornstein owns a Los Angeles-based sports marketing agency.

Two other familiar faces walking through the convention center’s halls were former Terre Haute South boys basketball coach Pat Rady and his son Patrick.