Alec Pierce didn't have a single catch in his first season of college football.
The wide receiver was a standout player in Illinois in high school, a two-way player who made an impact on special teams and offense alike. In his freshman season at the University of Cincinnati in 2018, Pierce spent the majority of the 11 games he played in on special teams. He made a name for himself there, recording six tackles, and Cincinnati went 11-2 in their best season since 2011.
Pierce didn't record a single catch, and that was okay. He believed his time was coming, and he just wanted his team to win games.
"I just knew, whatever I could do for the team to help the team win," Pierce said. "That was kind of my mentality from the beginning, and I had a lot of work to do as a receiver."
Pierce was determined to make his mark on special teams while also opening his coaches' eyes and showing them he was ready to put in the work to become a collegiate-level receiver. He did just that, and became one of Cincinnati's top wide receivers for the next three seasons.
By the end of his senior season in 2021, Pierce had played a key role in Cincinnati's back-to-back AAC Championship victories and finished his college career with 106 receptions, eight touchdowns and an average of 17.5 yards per catch. His 1,851 career receiving yards placed him at ninth in Cincinnati history.
What spurred that kind of growth? The answer is simple: Pierce had a goal, and he wanted to achieve it.
"I always had high aspirations," Pierce said. "I wanted to make it here (to the NFL) and that was probably one of my biggest motivations. I wouldn't even say I'm necessarily like a big end-goal type person, but I think it's just more like, the day-to-day, I just hold myself to a high standard."
Now, entering his third year in the NFL, Pierce still takes things day-by-day – snap-by-snap, even. He sees every rep in every practice as a brand-new opportunity and is determined to make the most of his chance each time. If he does make a mistake, he moves on quickly.
"He's kind of always been the same person since he's been here," wide receiver Ashton Dulin said. "Even-keeled, never too high, never too low. He just does his job."
Even when Pierce struggled in 2022 – he finished the season with 32 receptions on 63 targets – he put his head down and kept pushing himself. He knew he could be better.
"It really bothers me when I don't live up to my expectations for myself," Pierce said.
"I think he can do more," general manager Chris Ballard said at NFL owners' meetings in March. "He's gotta get stronger and he knows that. But he works, he doesn't complain. I could see the strain - you can just read people walking through the locker room, you can read them - I could see the frustration, but he never lets it get in the way of what's best for the team, which I really like about him."
Dulin and Pierce have shared neighboring lockers since Pierce was drafted by the Colts in 2022. Dulin, in his sixth year with the Colts, has seen Pierce work through difficulty and knows how motivated he is to keep improving. So, when Pierce began receiving praise for his standout performance in training camp this year, Dulin wasn't surprised.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Pierce just kept rising to the occasion and was always where he was supposed to be.
Head coach Shane Steichen said he thought Pierce's potential is high, especially after he showed off his speed and ability to consistently make contested catches throughout camp.
Ballard said he believed Pierce had arguably as good of a training camp as "anyone out there."
Dulin said he's always seen Pierce's potential.
"He's always kind of been that guy that can always stretch the field and make those big plays," Dulin said. "To see him do it now, it's just the consistency that we've always seen when he first came in as a rookie. So, for me, it's nothing different."
What is different, though, is who Pierce will be working with. In Pierce's first two years in the NFL, the Colts had the third-lowest ADOT (average depth of target) in the NFL at 7.5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, limiting Pierce's chances to make deep catches. Now, with Anthony Richardson's rocket arm leading the offense, Pierce's abilities as a downfield receiver have a real chance to shine.
"The things he does really well, and really why we drafted him, is getting down the field," Ballard said in January. "That's what he's really good at. I think when we were able to use him in those situations, he was successful. I think we've got to continue to work on ways to let him do what he does well and that's stretch the field."
"It's gonna be awesome, it's gonna be fun," Pierce said about playing with Richardson. "It'll be fun to play with him. He's a guy who can make all the throws, can make us better as receivers and just as an offense as a whole."
"Us fast guys want somebody to throw the ball deep to us," Dulin said with a chuckle. "That's the biggest part of it, being able to make the big plays when they come to us and capitalize on it."
If there's one thing Pierce intends to do in 2024, it's to capitalize on every chance he gets.
"There's only one ball," Pierce said. "So it's going to have to be spread around, but when you get your opportunities you're going to have to make the most of them and make those plays."
The Colts believe in Pierce to make those big plays, and make them consistently. Cooter praised his consistency in training camp, recognizing Pierce's willingness to fight for every reception and make big redzone catches.
"Alec's really stepped up as he's continued to improve and make those plays," Cooter said. "Alec's done a really nice job of getting himself in a really good place to set himself up to have a nice year."
But most importantly, Pierce believes in himself. He always has.
"I know athletically and talent-wise, I can hang with anyone," Pierce said. "You've just got to stick with it."
So, when the Colts selected wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Pierce's mindset stayed the same. It didn't light a fire under Pierce, because that fire was already there.
"I think it's more of him kind of growing into himself," Dulin said. "He's still a younger guy, his third year in the league. That third year you kind of take that step, kind of figure out what it is that you can see yourself being, kind of taking that step as a player as a whole."
"I think he just thought to himself, 'I've just got to be better by myself,'" Dulin added.
Pierce has high expectations for himself. He prides himself on being a part of winning teams, and always has. While he says he doesn't really focus on long-term goals, he does have one: make the playoffs.
He'll do anything to make it happen, and he'll do it by taking things one day at a time, while knowing everyone around him believes in him the same way he's always believed in himself.
