TERRE HAUTE — Injuries at the linebacking position may force the Indianapolis Colts to scan the waiver wire for some additional help.
Middle linebacker Gary Brackett and strongside linebacker Clint Session both sat out Thursday’s morning training camp practice, with Session expected to be sidelined for the next week with a strained left calf muscle.
Brackett has been ruled out of Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game preseason opener with the Washington Redskins. He has been limited to one practice per day during the first week of camp as he recovers from off-season hip surgery.
Session, meanwhile, was also hurt during the Wednesday night practice. He has been filling in with the first-team defense as projected starter Tyjuan Hagler recovers from a torn pectoral muscle. Hagler isn’t expected back in the lineup until late September or early October.
“Gary had an MRI done on his hip area. They still don’t know exactly what it is, but he’s going to be out this week. We’ll see where it goes from there,” Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said Thursday. He added that Brackett’s current injury is not related to his earlier surgery.
“I don’t think it’s at the point where we need to be concerned. They didn’t say this or that could be long term. They expect him back pretty quick.”
Second-year pro Ramon Guzman or rookie Philip Wheeler, Indianapolis’ third-round draft pick, may get the start at strongside linebacker against the Redskins. Wheeler, though, has been bothered by a sore knee in recent days. The shortage of depth at the position has the Colts looking elsewhere for some linebacking help.
“We would like to bring one in to at least practice,” Dungy said.
• Morris a possibility? — The Colts coach added that team president Bill Polian has talked informally with former Indianapolis first-round draft pick Rob Morris. Morris, who has started both at middle and strongside linebacker for the Colts, was released in February after eight seasons with the team.
“We have talked to Rob and had some conversations. I don’t know exactly where it is to be honest. I know Bill’s had some conversations with him.”
Morris has had some injury issues in the past, but that doesn’t appear to be a problem now.
“He is [healthy]. I think he’s going through did he want to play or not. He’s a name to keep in the back of your mind, I would say that,” Dungy said. “We’re at the point now we got we have six healthy linebackers. So we would look for a guy. You’d like to try to find a guy that knows what we’re doing or something similar. Maybe [someone who] has been in camp in Minnesota or Tampa or Detroit.
“We’re looking around and see who that might be and then if you can’t find anyone like that, then you just look for the best athletic guy you can find. But, you know, ideally it would be somebody who we could plug in and get going pretty quick.”
• Colts may add kicker — Indianapolis may be in the market for another placekicker to help ease the preseason load for veteran Adam Vinatieri.
The Colts have cut Shane Andrus and Adam Crossett in recent weeks.
“We have talked about it. It’s something we would probably like to do. But then we’re going to have to see where we are at other positions. We’re a little thin at linebacker right now with a couple of injuries. It would be nice and something we would like to do if we can,” Dungy said.
• Injury report — Also sitting out Thursday’s morning practice were running backs Dominic Rhodes and Kenton Keith, cornerback Tim Jennings (knee), defensive end Ben Ishola (foot), safety Melvin Bullitt (thumb) and rookie wide receiver Charles Dillon (foot). Neither Rhodes or Keith were injured and both are expected back for this morning’s full-team workout.
“Kenton and Dominic Rhodes were out. It’s hard to describe, but they’re fine. Actually, you just have to take my word for it. It’s something that you don’t want to know,” Dungy said with a smile.
• Manning ranks second in recent poll — www.footballscoop.com, an internet site that caters primarily to high school and college football coaches, recently polled its readers and asked whom they would like most to sit down with for three hours and discuss game strategy.
The four candidates were University of Southern California football coach Pete Carroll, Georgia coach Mark Richt, ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning garnered 27 percent of the vote to finish second in the poll behind Carroll (36 percent). Richt was third at 24 percent while Jaworski was fourth with 14 percent.
• Camp attendance close to normal — Despite high gas prices, a sluggish economy and an earlier starting date, attendance at the Colts training camp this year is on a normal pace according to Rose-Hulman officials.
The camp drew record numbers of fans after Indianapolis won Super Bowl XLI, but that was to be expected, officials said. Attendance has dropped off about 30 percent this summer, putting crowd numbers back about to where they were prior to the title run.
Officials announced Thursday that 3,157 fans crowded alongside both of the Colts’ practice fields during Wednesday night’s workout.
Sports
Brackett, Session sit out Thursday’s practice
- Sports
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winner: Northview pitcher T.J. Decker rejoices as his team records the last out in their semi-final win. The Knights defeated Terre Haute North in the first game Monday at Plainfield.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
-
South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
Terre Haute South’s bid for a sixth consecutive high school baseball sectional championship took a scary turn Monday afternoon.
-
PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
Turkey Run routed North Vermillion 15-2 to capture the Class A Rockville Sectional championship for high school baseball Monday night.
-
Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
Linton blasted its way into the championship game of its hometown Class 2A high school baseball sectional as No. 9 hitter Beau Eaton cranked a pair of home runs to left field, and starting pitcher Tanner Butler capped Linton's scoring with a grand slam.
-
ISU chosen for NCAA baseball tournament
The Indiana State baseball team got its wish on Monday as it was chosen as an at-large team to play in the NCAA baseball tournament.
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume
Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time on Sunday and did it in dramatic fashion.
-
Sato’s move forces final caution to come out
In the “go or go home” world that is the Indy 500, Takuma Sato went for it and paid the price.
-
INDY 500 NOTEBOOK: Barrichello finishes 10th in 1st oval race
Rubens Barrichello, in his long racing career, ran in his first oval race and finished 10th, the highest finishing rookie in the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
- Local Interest
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winner: Northview pitcher T.J. Decker rejoices as his team records the last out in their semi-final win. The Knights defeated Terre Haute North in the first game Monday at Plainfield.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
-
South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
Terre Haute South’s bid for a sixth consecutive high school baseball sectional championship took a scary turn Monday afternoon.
-
PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
Turkey Run routed North Vermillion 15-2 to capture the Class A Rockville Sectional championship for high school baseball Monday night.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
- High School
-
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
- Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
- South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
- PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
- Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
-
- College
-
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Indiana State’s baseball fate to be decided today
At high noon today, the train arrives for the Indiana State baseball team.
-
ISU hurdler Swift becomes 5th Sycamore to make NCAAs
Indiana State sophomore Greggmar Swift became the second member of the men’s team and the fifth Sycamore overall to qualify for the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Finals at Drake University, placing second in the second heat of the 110 meter hurdle quarterfinals Saturday at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
-
FROM THE PRESS BOX: ISU baseball has pluses, minuses for tourney bid
Last Thursday, when Indiana State’s baseball jumped around in a celebratory dogpile after clinching the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship at Bob Warn Field, no one thought that a little over a week later, the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble would fly over Terre Haute. -
Lou Watson, former IU player and coach, dies at 88
Former Indiana University player and coach Lou Watson died on Thursday in Fairfax, Va., the school announced. He was 88.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
- Sports Columns
-
-
KEGLER’S KORNER: New members of GTHBA Hall of Fame
The “winter” bowling season has come to a close, and with that realization, it’s time to find out who are the newest inductees to the Greater Terre Haute Bowling Association Hall of Fame.
- COLLEGE REPORT: Rockville’s Greene helps lead Illinois State to MVC title
- REDNECK QUAKER: Wabash Valley duo gets hooked on bow fishing
- FROM TERRE HAUTE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Thatcher having a good 0-for-May
- RUB OF THE GREEN: Hogan, small of stature, left big footprints
-
KEGLER’S KORNER: New members of GTHBA Hall of Fame
- Pro Sports
-
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
Just because Dallas Clark is now in Tampa Bay and Jacob Tamme has moved on to Denver doesn’t mean that the tight end position has become any less important to the Indianapolis Colts offense.
- Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
- Colts’ new QB has a lot to keep him busy
- Mr. Irrelevant may find home with Colts
- Colts fill need at cornerback
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
- Terre Haute Rex
-
-
Rex summer league team will have almost entire new pitching staff
Perseverance was one of the stories for the Terre Haute Rex during the 2011 season as manager Brian Dorsett took the team to its first playoff berth in its second year of existence.
- Heftier home schedule awaits Rex fans
- America’s (Class) Time: ISU students analyze Rex attendance data for class project
- No comeback this time for Rex
- Rex's pitching staff has big postseason potential
-
Rex summer league team will have almost entire new pitching staff
- Colts
-
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
Just because Dallas Clark is now in Tampa Bay and Jacob Tamme has moved on to Denver doesn’t mean that the tight end position has become any less important to the Indianapolis Colts offense.
- Colts working on rebuilding as Luck finishes at Stanford
- Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
- Colts’ new QB has a lot to keep him busy
- Mr. Irrelevant may find home with Colts
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
- Auto Racing
-
AP/Dave Parker Dario Franchitti, center, of Scotland, leads teammate Scott Dixon, bottom, of New Zealand, and Tony Kanaan, top, of Brazil, to the finish line on the final lap of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday.
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume
Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time on Sunday and did it in dramatic fashion.
- Sato’s move forces final caution to come out
- INDY 500 NOTEBOOK: Barrichello finishes 10th in 1st oval race
- Ganasi’s team on target for final practice, pit-stop competition
- TRACKSIDE: Sprint car event could generate close racing
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume




