By Tom James
Peyton Manning, who is annually one of the first arrivals for the start of training camp, certainly had a lot on his mind as he drove the familiar 75-mile route from Indianapolis to the Rose-Hulman campus Sunday morning.
Manning had an extra-special reason to get to Terre Haute a little early this year. After missing nearly all of the Indianapolis Colts preseason workouts a year ago due to an infected bursa sac in his left knee, the three-time National Football League Most Valuable Player can’t wait to get back to a normal camp practice routine.
Then there’s the fact that Manning will be taking part in his first Colts training camp without the services of the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. Marvin Harrison and the team parted ways back in February after 13 record-setting seasons, which means that Indianapolis’s high-powered passing game will now go through the very capable hands of veterans Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Anthony Gonzalez.
If that’s not enough, the fact that former Colts head coach Tony Dungy retired this past spring and was replaced by Manning’s quarterbacks coach — Jim Caldwell — should make for a very interesting training camp.
“It feels a lot better [coming to camp this year] to be able to drive up here as opposed to getting driven up here last year, laying down in the back seat and being confined to my dorm all year last year. Certainly hope that won’t be the case this year. I’m excited to drive up here healthy and I’m looking forward to going to work,” the reigning league MVP said Sunday morning.
As he made the trip over, Manning began to feel his emotions grow stronger as his SUV got closer to Terre Haute.
“I was [excited], which is a good thing, I think, going into my 12th year [in the NFL]. But probably, especially because of the scenario last year. It wasn’t a fun time for me last year, rehabbing and not being able to go out on the field with all the guys,” he said.
“I’m definitely most excited about getting back on the field and go to work. I’ve always believed that training camp is where you kind of form the foundation of your team and truly iron out the little things, the little details that you are going to need to be on the same page with as you go into the season. I definitely think [his knee infection] had an effect on the way I started the season last year. So I’m looking forward to going through the entire camp hopefully healthy this year and hopefully we can get off to a faster start.”
The obvious fact that Manning is able to get around this year without the use of crutches or having to put extra time in for rehab is a major plus.
“Just being able to get around, to really walk around normally, is something that you kind of take for granted. Like I said, I kind of felt guilty that all these guys are going through two-a-day [practices], being out there in the heat and here I am being laid up in the bed,” he said.
“I wasn’t having any fun, believe me. I kept going through the rehab process. But you’d rather be out there with the guys, mixing it up, going through the heat, sweating it out. It’s important to do that as a team. And I’m looking forward to do that this year.”
• Getting Tom and Howard back — The official news that longtime assistant coaches Tom Moore and Howard Mudd would be back for another season with the Colts was good news to Manning, who has forged a strong personal relationship with both of them.
“I guess, hopefully, it just means good continuity. Obviously, defense has a new system to learn and special teams has a new system to learn. We’ll have the same [offensive] system in, but we still need to go out and execute it,” he pointed out.
• New man in charge — Manning and Caldwell have worked well as a team since 2002, when the new Colts head coach took over working with the team’s quarterbacks.
Now that relationship has changed a bit, with Caldwell now overseeing the entire squad.
“Anytime that you have a new coach, or a new player, I think everybody kind of — whether its the media or the players — you try to get to know him in stages,” the Indianapolis quarterback said. “For us, we’ve gotten to know coach Caldwell [as a head coach] through the draft, through mini-camp, through [organized team activities] and now training camp. And then, of course, there will be the first few regular season games.
“Everybody is kind of getting to know him as a head coach and I’m no different. I certainly know him as my quarterbacks coach but when you are in a new role as head coach, there’s always a transition there and some things that are new. So I think we’ll get to know him more, his leadership style, throughout training camp for the next three weeks and then the [regular] season unfolds. I think it kind of comes in stages.”
• No Dungy — Getting used to the fact that Tony Dungy isn’t around anymore has taken a little getting used to — even for a veteran player like Manning.
“Coach Dungy, his prints will be on this team. I think throughout training camp and throughout the regular season, the philosophies and the words of wisdom that he evoked upon the team, I think that the players will carry that with them,” he said.
“I think coach Caldwell will continue to preach some of the same principles that coach Dungy coached us from. Even though he won’t be here, I still think his coaching philosophies will be present in the building and on the practice field. I think coach Caldwell is his own man and he’s going to establish his own identity and coach the way he wants to coach.”
• No Marvin — In addition to not having Dungy around, the absence of Harrison and his familiar No. 88 jersey will take some getting used to.
“As I was driving up here, I sent both of them a text. Just told them that the whole team will miss them and that I’ll miss them. You always kind of take time to kind of let that sink in a little bit. That’s tougher. You can’t get over it just right away, what both of those of guys have meant to this team. Coach Dungy, what he’s meant to all us players, both professionally and personally. And then Marvin, what he’s done for my career,” Manning said.
“It will be different. Marvin’s [training camp] room was always kind of right next to me and [tight end] Dallas [Clark’s] room. I know nobody will be wearing No. 88. But who’s going to be in that locker spot? Those are things, that’s the toughest part about it. It’s happened through the years here with guys like Edgerrin James, Marcus Pollard, Tarik Glenn, Ken Dilger. Guys that you’ve been good friends with and that you’ve been in a lot of deep trenches and battles with. But that’s part of it. I think when it happens, what you do is that you remember the good things that happened while you were here together. That’s all that I’ve ever known, that [No.] 88 has always been out on the right. My head will be turning the other way, a little way a little bit more to the left [this year] toward No. 87 [Wayne]. Dallas will have a big year for us. I’m looking forward to seeing that heavy competition at that third spot. Competition is good and I think it will make everbody better at that position.”
• Wayne makes grand arrival — No, it was not a mirage Sunday at Rose-Hulman. And, yes, that was Reggie Wayne in the large dump truck that pulled up near the players dorms at the school with the air horns blazing.
Wayne rode alongside driver Jason Medenwald in the truck that is owned by Allender Trucking of Brazil. When he got out, the Colts’ receiver was decked out in full construction worker apparel — including a hard hat with “Wayne Construction” on the front and “Super Bowl Under Construction” on the sides, a bright orange safety vest, a tool belt and work boots.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, we’re under construction,” he joked with the media. “I’m here ready to work. Got my lunch box, got my hard hat and we’re going to have a great time. We’re going to make this thing work. It’s going to be real good.
“This here is all about the road to the Super Bowl being under construction. We’ve been there a few years ago and we’ve got to get that blueprint back out to get it done. It will be fun. It will be a real fun year this year. We expect this plan to come out a success.”
