INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Wayne and Ed Reed have a special relationship.
The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver and Baltimore Ravens free safety are both New Orleans natives. They were teammates at the University of Miami. And, more importantly, they were roommates while in college.
Even after Wayne was the Colts’ first-round draft pick in 2001 and Reed was the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2002, the bond has remained strong.
“We probably talk about three times a week, which is probably too much time. I mean, we’re brothers. We consider ourselves brothers. We’re both from New Orleans, four years of seeing his face in college, roommates. We talk all the time, whether it’s football or what’s going on at home, his family, my family. We just talk about everything,” Wayne said Wednesday.
“We talk about three times a week, probably spend about 30 minutes on the phone each time. I’ll be sure to not use my anytime minutes. I consider him family. We talk all the time, just talk about whatever. We talked this week. I have to take him out this week. Whenever we go to Baltimore he has to take me out, [and] whenever they come to Indianapolis I have to take him out.”
Still, there is one bone of contention between the two. It seems as Reed wasn’t a good caretaker for one of Wayne’s pet snakes.
“You want to bring that up? He killed my snake. He neglected my snake. My rookie year, I came here and I left my snake with him, and he was supposed to take care of him. I thought he was taking care of him. My off week I went home and my snake was a little sick. So, I had to nourish him and get him back going. I got him back going, came back to Indianapolis to finish the season off,” he recalled.
“Right around the end of season, which was a long season already, I got a text message that said — my snake’s name was Law — it said, ‘Hey man, Law’s dead.’ So, that’s pretty much how it went. That was a wrap. It was a Green Burmese Python. He was supposed to reimburse me with a new snake. I haven’t received it yet. I’m glad [the media] brought it up because I’ll be sure to remind him when I see him.”
When asked what Reed didn’t do, Wayne said it was simple.
“I don’t know. I mean I was feeding him every two or three days. He got spoiled. You get spoiled. That’s like if I don’t feed you after you’ve eaten everyday, you get weak. That’s kind of how it was,” he said.
“He had his days when he would love to play with him, and he had his days when he was scared of him. I guess that’s how it went. It didn’t work out in Law’s favor, I can tell you that.”
• Garçon worries about family in Haiti — Pardon Pierre Garçon if his mind wasn’t completely on football Wednesday.
Several members of his family still reside in Haiti, which was hit by a massive earthquake on Tuesday. He is one of several NFL players — including Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil, New Orleans middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Detroit defensive end Cliff Avril and San Francisco Ricky Jean-Francois — who have relatives living on the island.
“It’s terrible. It’s probably the worst thing that could ever happen there. It’s a nightmare. It’s a poor country and it’s going to take a long time to rebuild,” Garcon said before the start of Wednesday’s practice.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was like ‘An earthquake in Haiti?’ You just don’t think about it. You think about earthquakes in California or some place.”
Garçon said that his mother has been trying to get in contact with as many relatives as possible, but it hasn’t been easy. He has been using Twitter to help track people down and to get the word out about what’s happening on the island nation.
“Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews. We still have not heard much from them and my mom is still trying to call them,” Garçon explained. “I’m keeping in contact with my mom. It’s tough to get in touch with people down there because of the phone lines.
“Spreading the word and helping others is really what it’s all about and this is the best situation to do that now. That’s all I can really do to help get the message out. That’s how we got the pictures out, the word out, that’s been really helpful.”
• Turner going to Redskins — Former Indiana State football player and assistant football coach Bobby Turner is headed to Washington to become the Redskins’ new associate head coach.
Turner has been the Denver Broncos’ running backs coach since 1995. He is rejoining former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, who was named as Washington’s new head coach last week.
According to the Denver Post, Denver team officials initially said no when Shanahan initially requested permission to talk to the East Chicago native. But the Broncos relented after Turner was assured of a promotion to the associate head coach’s position with the Redskins.
Known as one of the NFL’s best offensive backfield coaches, Terrell Davis went from sixth-round draft pick to NFL MVP under Turner’s tutelage. Davis, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis, Rueben Droughns, Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell all had at least one 1,000-yard rushing season while playing for the ex-Sycamores assistant coach.
Turner played safety at Indiana State in the early 1970s and went on to work as both a running back coach and defensive backfield coach under former ISU head coaches Tom Harp, Dick Jamieson and Dennis Raetz. He has also coached on the collegiate level at Purdue, Fresno State and Ohio State.
• Injury list — Nobody missed any practice time for Indianapolis Wednesday. But the week’s first injury report was a lengthy one:
Defensive end Ervin Baldwin (groin), middle linebacker Gary Brackett (quad), defensive end Raheem Brock (hip), safety Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), defensive end Keyunta Dawson (knee), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (elbow), safety Aaron Francisco (quad), defensive end Dwight Freeney (foot), wide receiver Pierre Garçon (hand), cornerback Tim Jennings (knee), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (shoulder), offensive tackle Charlie Johnson (foot), defensive end Robert Mathis (shoulder), defensive tackle Daniel Muir (shoulder), quarterback Curtis Painter (ankle), cornerback Jerraud Powers (hamstring), offensive guard Jamey Richard (shoulder), tight end Gijon Robinson (knee), weak side linebacker Clint Session (knee), offensive tackle Tony Ugoh (knee), wide receiver Reggie Wayne (knee) and placekicker Adam Vinatieri (right hip).
Colts
Wayne, Reed have a friendly history
- Colts
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. -
Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.
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Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. -
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.
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Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.
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Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available. -
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.
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Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick. -
Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft. -
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012). -
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.” -
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.
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Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit. -
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media. -
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards. -
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
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Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.
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Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks. -
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.
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Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular. -
Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. -
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round. -
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.
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Colts’ new offensive coordinator will offer variety
Quarterback Andrew Luck running the Pistol offense? Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton lining up in the Wildcat?
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Colts moving on to the off season
Moving on. That’s the immediate plans for the Indianapolis Colts as they head into the off season.
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Baltimore ends Indy’s playoff run early
The Baltimore Ravens want one long final ride for Ray Lewis. Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Colts, they now face a more imposing challenge.
Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. -
Switching sides: Colts-Ravens matchup includes old friends on new teams
Just as Baltimore Ravens players and coaches will be seeing some old friends returning to M&T Bank Stadium today, several Indianapolis Colts veterans will also have an opportunity to renew acquaintances with a familiar face.
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Pagano prepares Colts for tough crowd in Baltimore
As a former resident of Baltimore, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano knows all about the hard feelings that still run strong about the move of the Colts franchise to Indianapolis in 1984.
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