A Rundown Of Today's Happenings At Training
Camp
**BULLITT HOPES TO PUT HOLES IN OPPONENT'S PASSING GAMES
**
TERRE HAUTE – After picking off three passes in 2008
to seal Colts victories, safety Melvin Bullitt has built a
reputation as one of the most clutch ballhawks in the league.
Three of his team-high four interceptions came on either the final play of a Colts victory or in the last minute to clinch one. This training camp, he has picked up where he left off last season and is continuing to show he can be a force in the secondary. On Tuesday he drew praise for a highlight interception during a 9-on-7 drill.
With Colts safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 NFL Defensive Player-of-the-Year, on the Physically Unable to Perform list, Bullitt has impressed the team's coaching staff in the extra playing time he has received this summer.
"He takes advantage of every opportunity he gets," Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday. "He did the same last year. He's a guy who is always around the ball. Obviously, he has developed and is showing even a little bit more savvy and is doing quite well."
Bullitt said he has picked up some of that savvy by listening to Sanders and Colts safety Antoine Bethea – two players who have reached the Pro Bowl, as he points out – as much as possible.
"As long as I keep watching what they do, seeing how they study, seeing the notes they take and see how they prepare for practice, all I can do is get better," he said.
Although he has practiced with the first team throughout camp, Bullitt said he does not mind backing up two of the better safeties in the game.
"Wherever I can get in there, I just want to go out there and help the team," he said.
Bullitt said the team's revamped defense "fits my skills pretty well," explaining he will get to do a lot of different things from the safety position.
"I'm getting it down, (I'm) staying in my playbook," he said.
Bullitt said he is getting comfortable with the new scheme and is hoping to continue disrupting team's passing games, whether it be in the first quarter or a tight situation in the fourth.
"When (Bob) comes back, he'll be in, and I'm sure he'll be the same player he was," Bullitt said. "And I'll wait for my opportunity again. I'll always be ready to go out there and do what I'm supposed to do."
WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIGHTSThe Colts will take the field at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Wednesday night for an evening practice in front of what is anticipated to be a full house.
"We'll be in full pads this evening and (fans) are going to get an opportunity to see us mix it up a little bit more than we have," Coach Caldwell said.
The Colts coach said you still won't see his team tackling anybody to the ground, but you can expect to see "a little bit more of an active thud," he said.
"We are still trying to work on our basics, our fundamentals, improve our running game and our ability to stop the run," Caldwell said. "So we are going to try to get a mix of everything (tonight)."
The players are also excited to be back in pads playing in front of the fans.
"It should be fun," Colts safety Jamie Silva said. "Maybe it won't be as hot as it's been."
PLAY OF THE DAY
The Colts practiced this morning without pads and focused primarily on the team's pre-snap offense and defense. Tonight's practice will feature the offense and defense pitted against one another.
CALDWELL SAYS"He's making real good progress. We certainly feel he's doing everything he can to get back. He's working extremely hard, he's keeping himself in it mentally, and he's into it in meetings and our practice sessions doing a little coaching on the side, as well. When he'll be back, I'm not certain, but he's making real good progress so that's really all we can depend on right now, is the fact that some point in time he'll be available." – Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell on Bob Sanders
QUOTE OF THE DAY"I enjoy putting smiles on people's faces and it's obvious when you're walking by them and they are yelling your name, they care about you and care about you spending just a second with them. So it's pretty cool to stop and put a smile on people's faces and sign something and make them have a good day." – Colts safety Jamie Silva on signing extra autographs for fans at training camp
CAMP SCHEDULE
The Colts held a 60-minute practice this morning without pads and will go again this evening at 7:30 p.m. in full gear. On Thursday, the team will hold a special teams practice at 3:30 p.m.
WEATHER REPORTThe sun returned to Terre Haute and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Wednesday. The temperature reached 84 degrees, according to weather.com, and the sky was partly cloudy. The forecast calls for nearly identical weather on Thursday.
