PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (general comments after the selection of RB-Donald Brown)
"Well, as you now know we selected Donald Brown, running back from Connecticut. He's a 2,000-yard rusher, a scintillating player who catches the ball. We lost Dominic Rhodes, and we've replaced him with Donald Brown. It's a good time anytime you get a guy who's a game-breaker. You feel good about it. He was, in our opinion, the best player left. Interestingly enough, everything went exactly as we thought it would (in the draft's first round). I think there were only two picks that we didn't have. It was pretty much where we thought he was scheduled to go off (the draft board). We were very prepared to make the pick. We feel very good about it. This guy is a game-breaker. He has the ability to take the ball all the way. You've seen some of the highlights, I'm sure. He's a great kid, and we're thrilled to have him."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on RB-Donald Brown's ability)
"His running ability caught our eye. When you rack up 2,000 yards, you are doing something. Believe it or not, he was in the same Little League with Knowshon Moreno. That's pretty amazing. He's a game-breaker back. What it says to Joseph Addai is you're going to have a longer career and a more productive career."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on if he knew RB-Donald Brown was the guy always)
"We said, 'Here's a guy that fits everything we want as a football player. There isn't a thing wrong with him.' He's everything we would like to have in a Colts player."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on who he consulted to find out more about RB-Donald Brown)
"I spoken to Randy Edsall his college coach way back in December when he was thinking about coming out. Randy and I had a long conversation about him. I had seen him play. The area scout was really in love with him. He came away and said, 'Hey, this guy is definitely a game-breaker.' Bob Ferguson, who is one of our national scouts, actually took a look at the film the other day and was just gushing about him."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on the six players he was looking at in the first round to draft)
"They were all pretty much across the board. It actually ended up being four. There's one left. We felt that once we saw the thing develop at about 24 we knew we were going to get one of the players."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on who RB-Donald Brown reminds him of among current players)
"It's hard to pick a current guy. He has his own style. I couldn't think of one right at the moment."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on why he drafted RB-Donald Brown)
"We just felt his game-breaking style and his all around ability of blocking and catching is what really attracted us. Remember, we don't base things on statistics or notoriety like that. We base things on what you see with your eyes."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on the status of RB-Mike Hart)
"Our anticipation is that he will be ready at the start of the season. I think he's a pretty valuable role player. Our hope is that he's ready to go. I don't know about training camp. I think that could be a little dicey. Certainly, we were told the other day all signs point to him being ready for the regular season. Mike is a valuable role player."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (general comments after the selection of RB-Donald Brown)
"We are really excited about it. He's an outstanding talent as Bill (Polian) has mentioned, and a guy that certainly is going to come in and do some fine things for us. He certainly has the speed and the ability to run the ball and not only that, he'll understand and learn the protections within our offensive scheme in a short period of time. The first thing I visited with him on the phone and the first thing he asked me about was an offensive installation for this coming weekend and a playbook. He's the kind of a guy that has the kind of personality that we are typically accustomed to working with."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on having a two-back system)
"It's important to have two good backs in your system. There's no question about that because of the fact that the workload that's put on that position week in and week out. You need two guys that can carry the mail for you. At least two."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on RB-Joseph Addai's situation)
"It's not any different than what we've been over the years. You look back ever since we've been here basically there's always been two quality backs. It shouldn't change anything as far as his mindset and knowing that he has some help."
HEAD COAH JIM CALDWELL (on if he knew RB-Donald Brown was the guy always)
"When we first got together last week and started going through the whole dynamics of the round, we certainly discussed that in detail."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what he feels what lacking in the running game last year)
"There's not one thing you can point to and say this was the particular problem that we have. I think, overall, is we started to assess and take a real good look at it. There were a number of areas we thought we needed to straighten out. It could have been a strength factor on an occasion or two, or an individual blocking situation. Some of it may have been just from a schematic standpoint. Some of it was just a matter of being able to execute our techniques property and more consistently."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if RB-Donald Brown could be the number one back)
"We are looking at it much like we've looked over the years. Joseph (Addai) is our number one back. When Donald (Brown) comes in, he's going to play a role. We're going to give him an opportunity to fit in just like we have with other backs that have been here."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on being drafted by Colts)
"I'm happy. I'm relieved. I'm excited. Once my phone started ringing, my heart dropped. It was very exciting."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on who called him from the Colts)
"It was Coach Caldwell. He was just saying they're excited to get me and excited to get things going,and I said, 'So am I.'"
RB-DONALD BROWN (on playing with RB-Joseph Addai)
"I just want to contribute in any way possible. There's a Pro Bowl running back there and the opportunity to learn from one will be an honor and a great experience."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on what he can contribute to the team)
"Any way they need me, whether its special teams, third-down situations, whatever. That's what I'm there for."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on sharing carries with RB-Joseph Addai)
"That's fine with me. When I first started playing college ball, I played mainly special teams and a little bit of third down. Then I started to get worked into the offense. Maybe that's the same way (I'll be used)."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on the surprise of being picked by Colts)
"It's funny, my agent said, 'You know what? The sleeper pick is going to be the Colts.' Lo and behold the Colts made the pick."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on playing with QB-Peyton Manning )
"What an honor. It's definitely great to play with one of the best."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on the type of back he is)
"I just want to be as versatile as possible. The more assets you can bring to a team, the more successful you'll be. I'm willing to block, catch the ball out of the backfield and run between and outside the tackles."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on who he compares his play to)
"He's been out a couple of years, but I'd say I've got the running style of Tiki Barber."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on the biggest influences on his life)
"My parents (Donald, Sr. and Lisa) have been there every step of the way. They're great. They shaped me into the man that I am today. And also my high school coach, and Coach Edsall. I'm blessed to have been surrounded by great people."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (general comments after the selection of DT-Fili Moala)
"With our second pick, with a trade with Miami, we traded our fifth round pick to the Dolphins in order to switch picks in this (second) round. We selected Fili Moala, defensive tackle from USC. He's 6-4, 305 pounds. He runs the forty in about five flat. He's the kind of long, tough, rough-house defensive tackle that we feel like can help us both in the run game and the pass. He's a guy obviously that we thought very highly of. The pickings were getting a little slim on the boards. Everybody we had in the round had gone off at this point. Our board has been scarily correct and accurate. There weren't many left (tackles) at this point, so we decided to go make the trade and make sure we got him. We're anxious to have him. He's a player who played mostly right defensive end in the 3-4 this year because they had to get (Clay) Matthews on the field, along with the other three linebackers. We saw him in a situation that is a little different than what he'll play here. There were times when he was down in a true four front. We like his length. We like his toughness. We like his effort. The speed is good. He's very different than what we're used to having. That's fine. We felt like it was a departure in the right direction."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on USC's system)
"The system is exactly the same. They play the same defensive system we do. He should have very little learning curve involved. The techniques along the defensive line are almost exactly the same. He won't have much boning up to do of both from a playbook standpoint or a technique standpoint. He should fit right in pretty quickly."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on what he saw in DT-Fili Moala's ability)
"Stats are meaningless. It's the linebackers that make the tackles when they play the 3-4 front. What you see is penetration, length in penetration, the ability to change direction and go chase the play. That's critical. He's a long-armed, long-limbed guy. That aids him in pass rush. He really has a chance to get up the field and get on the outside of a guard and do some damage in the pass rush. Our most successful inside pass rusher has been Raheem Brock, who is the same height and naturally quite a bit less heavy. This is a guy that has a lot of the attributes we're looking for, plus the 305 pounds, quality and what he can do."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on DT-Fili Moala getting on the field quickly)
"I wouldn't think he'll have any difficulty at all adapting to what we do. Adapting to pro football is a different story. The NFL is a different level. As good as USC is, it's still a different level. Technique-wise and assignment wise it'll be similar."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on why DT-Fili Moala was the guy)
"This guy isn't necessary the 'Big Guy' in the middle. He's a bigger guy than we've had. We still need length. We still need athleticism. We still need change of direction. The under tackle is still a guy that has to be able to get through the gap and disrupt. It's hard to win consistently with 275-pound guys in there. It helps if they are 290 to 300. The nose tackle is another story. He could even be bigger if you could find one."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (on how he feels about the first picks)
"I feel good. We talked about it the other day that if we got this as a double that we'd be fine."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (general comments after the selection of DT-Fili Moala)
"We are excited to have Fili (Moala). He is a guy that does indeed have some length and some power. He certainly is a very efficient pass rusher as well as a good run defender as well. He's been in a system in which they've won a lot of games. That's what maximum effort is all about. He does all those things extremely well. He's a committed guy that we are looking forward to getting in."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how he feels about the first picks)
"We feel we filled some needs. We feel we have two individuals that are certainly going to help us."
DT-FILI MOALA (on being drafted by the Colts)
"I couldn't be anymore happier. There were some things that I experienced with the organization meeting with them. There are so many good things about the organization and Indianapolis itself, I couldn't have been happier."
DT-FILI MOALA (on playing tackle)
"I have no preference on what position I play. I just love being on the field playing football, whatever I can contribute to the team. That's what I'll be doing."
DT-FILI MOALA (on his size and ability)
"Coming from SC (Southern Cal), I've had the privilege of having a lot of great coaches from Coach Ed Orsoron, Jethro Franklin, and Coach Nicholas Holt. I've learned a lot of things from them, they taught me to just use my natural ability, be true to myself as a football player. What I provide is athletic ability, strength and point of attack. I know I have a motor and can run with the best of them. Those are qualities that have gotten me to this point in my career. I look forward to fine-tuning, sharpening my skills and being the best football player I can be and contributing to the Indianapolis Colts."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on arriving at the Colts facility)
"It's great. It really is. I'm excited. It's been a long journey. It's been a great journey, and I'm proud to be here today especially with the people that mean the most to me, my family. Just the opportunity to play with a great organization in Indianapolis and the opportunity that Mr. Polian has given me, Coach Caldwell and Mr. Irsay, and I'm very fortunate."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on what was going through his mind while coming to Indianapolis)
"I was trying to just take it all in. It's a life-long dream. I know that next weekend, we are back to work. I'm looking forward to it."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on the last 12 hours)
"It's been crazy. It really has. I've been on cloud nine. At times I had to pinch myself, saying, 'Wow, is this real?' This has been my life-long dream. I'm about to play in the National Football League. I'm excited."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on his meeting with former New York Giants RB-Tiki Barber)
"It was about 15 days ago. It was a great experience because I grew up in New Jersey. The Giants are right down the road. I was a big Tiki Barber fan. Having the opportunity to sit down with him a couple weeks ago was a great opportunity. I learned a lot. He's a great guy, and we just talked about the different things that will come across during a NFL career and the transition from college to pros and how to take care of your body. Also, the different types of training that he did, and the NFL lifestyle. I took a lot out of it. That was something I wanted to do and my agent made it possible."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on growing up a New York Giants fan)
"Yes. Obviously, though, I'm not a giants fan anymore."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on his time at the University of Connecticut)
"It was a great experience. I met many great people along the way and made many great relationships. Coach (Randy) Edsall's staff has done a phenomenal job up there…We've only been Division I-A for I think 10 or eleven years now. We've been to three bowl games, one Big East Championship and, in a matter of 10 years, that's pretty remarkable. The leaps and bounds that program has made is phenomenal, and it's a testament to Coach Edsall and his staff."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on his Leadership Conference)
"With the platform we have in the NFL and all the tools and resources that we have, you can do pretty powerful things with it. The way it worked is it was about leadership. It was open to grades freshmen to out-going seniors. Each high school student was able to submit an essay. It was about 200 words about leadership and what it means to them and somebody who is a leader in their eyes, and why. We received hundreds of essays. Myself and a couple of other people read through the essays, and we narrowed it down to 86. We had about 80 kids come out. We just talked about the different things that come up through high school and college that included drugs, alcohol, time management, academics, priorities and your social life. It wasn't just me talking. It was interactive, interesting questions and very informal. It was just a nice environment. Everybody was comfortable. It was a great night. I plan to start something out here, too."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on the Colts showing interest before the draft)
"Not really. It's not always the team that shows the most interest that you go to. That was clearly the case yesterday."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on being selected by the Colts)
"I'm excited. I've been waiting for this call for a while. It's a great chance, a great place."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on how he found out about being drafted)
"They (Colts) called me, I was actually texting my agent to find out what was the word, just then, 'Boom,' the Colts called, and I just started screaming before I answered the phone."
* *
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on his expectations as a rookie)
"To just come in and try to make an impact wherever I'm needed, a nickel back, corner, special teams. Wherever I'm needed, I'll just come in and try to make an impact early and show them that I can play."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on the type of player the Colts are getting)
"A hard-nosed, tough, smart player. I'm not going to do too much wrong on the football field. I'm going to do whatever you ask and make as many plays as possible."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on deciding to come out early)
"It basically came down to me just chasing this dream (playing in NFL) since I was five, looking forward to having this day."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on what he's been doing this weekend)
"Yesterday (Saturday), I played golf all day. (I) came home and the draft was still going so, I went bowling. Today, I went out for breakfast and came back and watched a movie just to keep my mind off of turning to ESPN. I walked into the living room and my father was watching it pick-by-pick. I walked in about 10 minutes later (and) my name comes across the board. It was really nice."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on previous interests the Colts had shown)
"The Colts showed a lot of interest from the start. This was around the time I had a feeling I was going to go. I knew there was the possibility that some teams had me where I could have gone in the late second or third round. This shocked a lot of the analysts because they had me going around the sixth or seventh round."
WR-AUSTIN COLLIE (on his expectations for this weekend)
"Just to get picked up by a team that was the best fit for me and my style of play, and that's what I got. It's a dream come true. It's a blessing to go in this spot and to a team you've always grown up watching, especially a team like the Indianapolis Colts that throws the ball. I mean what receiver wouldn't want to go there?"
WR-AUSTIN COLLIE (on why he watched the Colts over the years)
"They have a fantastic quarterback. They're a winning program; they're a team that knows how to get it done. They know what it takes to be a winning franchise, and they've proven that over the years."
WR-AUSTIN COLLIE (on his strengths)
"I'm anywhere the Colts need me to be. I can play whatever position as far as inside at the slot or outside. I definitely think I run exceptional routes and have good hands. I think that's kind of the personality of the Colts wide receiving corps. They're guys that are technicians and guys that know how to get open, and guys that can make plays. I definitely think that this is the best fit for me. I can play anywhere they want me to play."
WR-AUSTIN COLLIE (on his 2008 stats)
"Honestly, I believe it takes a good receiver to have those numbers. No matter what the system is, or what the system does, or how it's aligned. A receiver that has over 1,500 yards and over a 100 catches, it takes a pretty talented receiver. I don't think anybody is going to second-guess Michael Crabtree and his numbers. It's because he's a great wide receiver. I don't see how it's any different. There were a lot of guys that we spread the ball around to, it wasn't only me, but when the ball did come to me I made plays."
WR-AUSTIN COLLIE (on being an outspoken player)
"I think there's misunderstanding with what I say. I am a kind who is very honest with how I feel. You're not going to get any gray area with me. I honestly don't I think I've said anything or done anything in the past that has made me the most outspoken kid. I'm just a player who has stated the truth in the past. Because of the BYU/Utah rivalry people have taken stuff out of context and have made it bigger than it really was."
DT-TERRANCE TAYLOR(on being selected by the Colts)
"I'm excited. I'm happy to be a Colt. I want to be a part of the Indianapolis Colts, and I'm ready to get to work."
DT-TERRANCE TAYLOR(on what he'll contribute)
"I'm a physical player. I'm explosive, a play-maker and a run stopper. I'm an all-around good player. The Indianapolis Colts got a great player. Picking me was one of the best things they could have done. I'm just ready to get to work and show them what I can do."
QB-CURTIS PAINTER (on his reaction of being drafted by Colts)
"I'm extremely excited. Just overall, the organization and being close to home. Just the opportunity to come in and learn behind a couple of great quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi). It's kind of hard to explain, it's pretty exciting."
QB-CURTIS PAINTER (on overcoming senior year at Purdue)
"I think the one thing I try to stress going through this whole process is I have a lot of experience. I was able to start in the early part of my career at Purdue. I think other than the senior season, which was a rough one for us all. There were a lot of good things we did well the previous years."
QB-CURTIS PAINTER (on being a backup with veteran leadership)
"Yes, I think so you couldn't ask for a better situation as far as getting in there and learning behind some great guys. When I came to Purdue, it was a similar situation. Kyle Orton was a senior, and I was a freshman. I really learned a lot just from mimicking him and seeing the kind of things that he did. I think it's just a great situation to mimic that same scenario."
PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (general comments on the rest of the draft class)
"Our third round pick was Jerraud Powers. He's a corner from Auburn. He's 5-10, 192 pounds. If you think same style of play as Kelvin Hayden, that's him. He's a tough, feisty, hard-nosed, good cover guy. He played both outside and in the slot for them. (He's) pretty versatile, and we felt very good about that pick. We felt we need to upgrade the speed and cover ability in that area, and he also has good ball skills. Next pick was Austin Collie, the first pick in the fourth round, a wide receiver Brigham Young. He's 6-1, 200 pounds. If you think Brandon Stokley, that's the style. Let's hope he turns out to be as good (as Stokley). He has good hands, (runs) great routes and is a good slot receiver, a very good runner after the catch. He has kickoff return ability as well. The second pick in the fourth round was Terrance Taylor, a nose tackle from Michigan. He's 6-0, 320 pounds. He's a wide-body and a guy with explosion. He's a true nose tackle. That's something we felt like we needed to add in terms of how we structure the defense, and he was the prototypical nose tackle. The next pick was Curtis Painter. Our first pick in the seventh round was Pat McAfee, who we view as a punter. He did all three at West Virginia. He is a very good place-kicker, but we see him as a punter. We think he has a good chance to win the job. Our final pick was Jaimie Thomas, an offensive guard out of Maryland. He's 6-4, 330 pounds. He did very well at the East-West Game. He came on strong at the end of the season. He's athletic as can be. He had a very good East-West Game playing for Bobby Ross, to whom we have great respect."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (general comments on QB-Curtis Painter)
"It's been a productive two days. It's been long, but it's been very exciting, particularly for my first one (draft as a head coach). It's nice to be able to participate in a well-oiled machine. Curtis Painter is a quality guy who has all the skills and ability that we were looking for. He has a nice strong arm. He's a pretty accurate individual. He's improving in that area day by day. He also has a great mind. He has the kind of attitude that we look for at that particular position. We're looking forward to having Curtis come and join the group."
