INDIANAPOLIS – It was so new for so many Colts on Saturday.
The faces: almost half of the 90-man was not with the Colts last year.
The location: the Colts have ditched the dorm life for hotel life and are practicing at their own complex for the first time in Indianapolis' history.
The injury: the Colts will not have Andrew Luck under center when they open up practice Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
One of the few signs of normalcy for the Colts on Saturday came from Vontae Davis channeling his inner-Reggie Wayne by arriving via a SlingShot (three wheels, two seats) car.
Summer vacation is over for the 2017 Colts.
With the late start to the preseason this year (Sunday, Aug. 13), the Colts were the last of four NFL teams to report to Training Camp.
"It's been a good offseason, but this is what we do for a living so it's fun to get back out here with the team and start practicing," third-year defensive end Henry Anderson said on Saturday.
"Training Camp is a necessary evil. They are long, hard days but they are going to make you better."
While most of Saturday's focus was on Luck updating his shoulder rehab, Anderson and the defense have a very important camp ahead of them.
It's a unit that ended minicamp with not a single starter in place from last year's regular season opener.
The defense will continue its meshing at Sunday's first practice, before the full pads come on Tuesday.
An uptick in the physicality of this year's Training Camp has been a constant theme from Chris Ballard and Chuck Pagano.
"Defense hasn't held up our end of the bargain the past couple of years so anything we can do to start playing better as a unit I think I'm all for it," Anderson said of a more physical camp.
One player that won't feel any more physicality is quarterback Scott Tolzien.
The red-jersey quarterbacks will operate without their leader to start camp, meaning Tolzien will begin camp taking the first-team reps, something he has never done in seven NFL seasons.
Even if the Colts won't have Luck out there, that does not diminish the importance of this time of year.
"It's all football all the time," Tolzien says of camp. "That's how you build team chemistry, especially with free agency and rookies. It's important to get that comfort level with everybody. I can't imagine a season without Training Camp. It would be almost impossible in my eyes."*
The analysis from those producing content on Colts.com does not necessarily represent the thoughts of the Indianapolis Colts organization. Any conjecture, analysis or opinions formed by Colts.com content creators is not based on inside knowledge gained from team officials, players or staff.*
