INDIANAPOLIS – Maybe it was fitting the Colts altered their schedule for this year's offseason program.
In doing so, Jabaal Sheard and Barkevious Mingo could fully experience an opportunity of a lifetime.
Previously under Chuck Pagano the Colts had their mandatory off day during the team's offseason program fall on a Friday.
This year the off day was moved to Wednesday.
So on the first Wednesday of the Colts offseason program (April 19), two new faces had one final bit of business to take care of with their former team.
Sheard and Mingo went to the White House, where the New England Patriots were being honored for winning Super Bowl LI last season.
"That was a dope experience, one of the dopest experiences I've had," Sheard said of visiting the White House. "I would love for every one of my teammates to experience that."
Playing in New England for the last two seasons, Sheard had a sack of Atlanta's Matt Ryan during the thrilling comeback victory by the Patriots.
The role for Mingo with the Patriots was primarily on special teams (he had two special teams tackles during the 34-28 victory).
After never even sniffing the playoffs in four years with the Browns, Mingo finally got to experience something on his mind since college.
Mingo was part of an LSU team that fell just short of a ticket to the White House. A 2011 loss in the BCS Championship game kept Mingo longing for the nation's capital.
"It's one that I've been dreaming about since playing in college," Mingo said of finally getting the chance for that White House visit. "I was fortunate enough to play in the BCS Championship in college, and the night before the game that was the only thing I thought about. So this time around I was like, 'I've got to keep that out of my head, push that aside, just wait.'
"I was very happy to be able to walk those halls and actually get the chance to meet the President and just be there."
Is trip No. 2 to the White House on the horizon?
Leaving a perennial Super Bowl contender is never easy, but the state of parity in the NFL has these Lombardi hoisting Colts believing.
"That was last year," Sheard says of the Super Bowl heading back to New England. "Who says they are going to win the Super Bowl again this year?
"Everybody is starting all over. Everybody is working at the same goal. Everybody is at the same level. It's a new star. I'm looking forward to it."
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