ANDERSON, Ind. – It's back to school time around the United States.
T.Y. Hilton is following suit.
The backpacks Hilton dons always signify something.
Whether it's sharks or hamburgers, Hilton has an underlying message once he puts that backpack on his shoulders.
In Anderson, a Ferrari logo has graced the bag on the back of Hilton.
"We've got a lot of speed in the receiver room," Hilton says, "so I went with a Ferrari and we are just going to play fast and have fun."
Fitting that speed is the name of the game for the Colts' receivers in 2016.
If Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett got in the starting blocks, a la what we are about to see in Rio, I'm sure quite a few fans would turn their attention to such a race.
The speed trait for that trio is something that Ryan Grigson loved when drafting each of them.
Such ability to stretch a defense is a luxury, and offers potential to give the Colts one of the more potent receiving groups in all of football.
"True speed is the X-factor to me in any sport and those players all have God given speed---speed that can't be trained to achieve," Grigson says. "It's that roll out of bed type of speed.
"They will put pressure on any defense with their natural speed, but to achieve a high level of success in this league it's always about refining your game and overall skills at your position to utilize that gift to its fullest. That's where our coaches play a huge role in that development along with the players' willingness to do all those little things they're being taught on a daily basis to put them in position to be successful. If it only had to do with speed then we would just sign guys A through Z at a track meet. When true skill converges with true speed, then you really have something."
In 2014, the deep ball was one of the staples for what Andrew Luck and the Colts were able to do offensively.
A healthy Luck in 2016 coupled with Ferrari-type speed at receiver, should keep Colts' opponents thinking twice about cheating their safeties up to the line of scrimmage this season.
"There's a lot of talent in this group," Hilton says "and we look forward to showing that."
