ANDERSON – Chuck Pagano is having no trouble finding a little shut-eye in his Anderson University dorm room.
For most head coaches, the thought of starting a player at right tackle, who has played that position for just one game in his entire football career, might not make one sleep easy at night.
Pagano isn't worried about Jack Mewhort though.
"Until he proves otherwise, I sleep well at night knowing that he's in there," Pagano says of the Colts new starting right tackle.
"He's been great. He's consistent. He doesn't make mental errors, he's on the right guy (in the) run game, pass game. Tough guy. He's going to be a good player for us."
Mewhort has spent the first eight practices of the 2015 Training Camp proving why the Colts have the faith in him to cement the vacant right tackle spot.
A year after settling in at guard, Mewhort's present (and future) in the NFL now appears to be out on the edge.
The obvious differences in space are perhaps the biggest physical change Mewhort now faces at right tackle.
Instead of being in a more confined area at guard, Mewhort now must prep for some of the game's most dynamic edge rushers coming at him.
After a mini-camp, and now more than a week of Training Camp, of drilling at right tackle, fine tuning all the assignments remains a hurdle that hasn't been completely cleared.
"Just the little things as far as contingencies. If this happens, I do this, or if this happens, I do this," Mewhort says about what he still needs to learn at right tackle.
"As far as technique goes, it's a little bit different. Out on the edges, there is a little bit more space, so it's a lot of little stuff. Football is football and playing offensive line, all the positions are a pretty similar, but it's just the little things that define the position and the player."
One area Mewhort definitely has down at tackle is the most important factor in anyone who lines up on the Colts offensive line this season.
Mewhort's previous days as a tackle came on the left side at Ohio State.
A different offensive system is here in Indianapolis, and the cargo needing to be protected is of the most importance.
"Obviously when you have a quarterback like Andrew Luck, you are going to drop back and you're going to let him make plays, so you have to be able to protect. At Ohio State, it was more quick passes and a lot of run blocking a lot of getting the ball out fast," Mewhort says, comparing his time at left tackle in college.
"At this level, it's making sure that you can get a guy, a high-caliber quarterback, enough time to do his job."
Highlights from Sunday's practice!
