While all eyes were on how Anthony Richardson would lead the offense during the team's preseason opener, there was another Colts' rookie turning some heads.
Cornerback Darius Rush had arguably the play of the game in the third quarter after the fifth-round pick intercepted a pass from Kyle Allen and took it to the end zone on a 52-yard return.
Not only did the play give the team a 13-10 lead, but earned him a shoutout from his teammates.
"I wish I could have run down the field with him, but sadly I can't," Richardson said. "It's good to see rookies getting action and he did something pretty good for us."
After missing some time during training camp due to a shoulder injury, Rush was getting up to speed quickly since his return to the field.
So, after seeing him turn the lessons he'd learned into a big play on Saturday, linebacker Shaquille Leonard said it was not much of a surprise.
"It was amazing," Leonard said. "Especially from a South Carolina guy coming in as a rookie. I thought he had a good camp and now he's getting a pick-six. We always talk about takeaways and seeing him get one is amazing for this defense."
In recent years, the Colts have been one of the top defenses in the league at creating turnovers.
However, in 2022, they only forced 21 which was their lowest total since 2017.
One of the reasons why the Colts drafted Rush was because he had shown a knack for getting his hands on balls during his time at South Carolina.
In his final two seasons as a Gamecock, he had three interceptions and broke up 15 passes.
Happy to see that playmaking ability translate to the pros, Colts' head coach Shane Steichen said the play was a highlight of the game.
"Yeah, it was great. They had a little screen there going, had a little tip ball, bang and he made the pick, pick-six," Steichen said. "It was awesome to see Rush make that play."
