Laiatu Latu expected to be here, walking into an NFL locker room as an NFL player for the first time this week. But when he saw his locker at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center – with his name and number, 97, above it – he was filled with gratitude and appreciation for where his feet were.
"I was ecstatic," Latu said. "I couldn't believe I was looking at my own locker with my own number on it in the Colts' facility. It's just a surreal moment. As I was looking at the locker, I just remember everything I went through, as a kid playing football starting at six years old, now I'm in — I think this is the best setting to practice, play football in. I love it."
Latu, the Colts' first-round draft pick and the first defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, said he was given a choice between two numbers to wear: 57 or 97.
And knowing what he learned about Colts history upon arriving in Indianapolis after being picked, the choice was easy for the young defensive end.
"I learned when I got here the whole history behind the 90s numbers," Latu said. "You got 93, 98, (Robert) Mathis and (Dwight) Freeney. … You got DeForest Buckner, one of the best D-linemen to ever play wearing 99. I got to pick either between 95 and 57, and when they told me that, I was just like, I'm rocking with the 90s."
Freeney will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, and Mathis – the NFL's all-time strip sack king – has a strong case for Canton, too. Both Freeney and Mathis are in the Colts' Ring of Honor. Buckner, meanwhile, is a three-time Pro Bowler and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL.
For Latu, though, he was intentional about not shying away from those expectations – and living up to the legacy built by the guys who came before him.
"I want to give my all to this program," Latu said. "I want to be able to go out there and be that guy on third downs and any other passing down where I'm affecting the quarterback in any other way, and for them to rely on me in those situations where they know that I'm gonna if they put me out there for that rush."
Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who the Colts selected in the second round (No. 52 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, chose his number to draw motivation from it as a reminder.
Mitchell, despite being seen by some draft prognosticators as a first-round pick, was the 11th wide receiver taken in April's draft.
"Just going through the whole process of the draft, seeing 10 receivers go before me," Mitchell explained. "Once they told me that number (10) was available – I originally picked another number but then I was just up late thinking about it. I couldn't get it off my mind. I was like, yeah, bro, lemme get 10."
Mitchell isn't bothered by who, exactly, was picked ahead of him. That's not what he's focused on. What he is focused on is being the best receiver he can be for the Colts – and making their choice to draft him the right one.
"At the end of the day, it is what it is," Mitchell said. "I'm not bitter about it or anything like that. Definitely congratulations and happy for the people that got picked, but it's just — at the end of the day, it was between me and them, and they got picked, so that's all motivation."
View photos from the Colts rookies on Day 2 of Rookie Minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
57 LB Jaylon Carlies
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
97 DE Latu, Laiatu
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
33 CB Micah Abraham
Motu'apuaka, Hale
Hemphill, Aidan
Green, Jaden, Shrader, Spencer, Mallinder, Harry
Mallinder, Harry
Mallinder, Harry
Gould, Anthony
Caston, Jakarius
Horton, Kaylon
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
O'Brien, Colin
Caton, Dakota
Caston, Jakarius\
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Chris Ballard General Manager
Pennix, Trent
Pennix, Trent
White, Xavier
Bean, Jason
Bean, Jason
Cordeiro
Tutsie, Michael
33 CB Micah Abraham
Scott, Zavier
Strong, Justin
Mitchell, Jyran
Pennix, Trent
Pennix, Trent
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Tucker, Dalton
Cordeiro
Bean, Jason
Goncalves, Matt
Tucker, Dalton
Bortolini, Tanor
Goncalves, Matt
Slovis, Kedon
Slovis, Kedon
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Goncalves, Matt
Caton, Dakota
Gould, Anthony
O'Brien
Gatewood, Joey
Pennix, Trent
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Slovis, Kedon
10 WR Adonai Mitchell, Head Coach Shane Steichen
Young, Craig
Slovis, Kedon
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Head Coach Shane Steichen, 10 WR Adonai Mitchell, Brian Bratton Offensive Quality Control Wide Receivers
Jim Bob Cooter Offensive Coordinator
Bean, Jason
Pennix, Trent
Chris Ballard General Manager
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
33 CB Micah Abraham
Caton, Dakota
Fields, Clayborne
Ajiake, Austin
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
Okonkwo, Dubem, Carlies, Jaylon, Hooker, Marcus, Young, Craig
Young, Craig
Okonkwo, Dubem
Hemphill, Aidan
Weichman, Garrett
Bortolini, Tanor
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
Brooks, Kendell
97 DE Laiatu Latu
Hornibrook, Jake
Motu'apuaka, Hale
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
33 CB Micah Abraham
10 WR Adonai Mitchell
Ajiake, Austin
Ajiake, Austin
Head Coach Shane Steichen
Chris Ballard General Manager
97 DE Laiatu Latu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
35 S Brandon Bishop
33 CB Micah Abraham
57 LB Jaylon Carlies
51 DE Christian McCarroll
97 DE Laiatu Latu
57 LB Jaylon Carlies
57 LB Jaylon Carlies
43 LB Dubem Okonkwo
57 LB Jaylon Carlies
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
LB Will Perez
58 LB Austin Ajiake
Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers, Head Coach Shane Steichen
74 DT Jonah Laulu
74 DT Jonah Laulu
65 DE Levi Bell
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
View photos from the Colts rookies taking part in Day 1 of Rookie Minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
60 DT Jeblonski Green
97 DE Laiatu Latu
62 DT Isaiah Coe
33 CB Micah Abraham
DT Hale Motu'apuaka
97 DE Laiatu Latu
97 DE Laiatu Latu
74 DTJonah Laulu
74 DTJonah Laulu
Chris Ballard General Manager
Chris Ballard General Manager, Head Coach Shane Steichen
10 WR AD Mitchell
10 WR AD Mitchell
Head Coach Shane Steichen
60 G Tanor Bortolini
10 WR AD Mitchell
71 T Matt Goncalves
6 WR Anthony Gould
10 WR AD Mitchell, Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
10 WR AD Mitchell
60 G Tanor Bortolini
10 WR AD Mitchell
56 C Garrett Weichman, 60 G Tanor Bortolini
71 T Matt Goncalves
30 CB Jaylin Simpson, 33 CB Micah Abraham
10 WR AD Mitchell
71 T Matt Goncalves
60 G Tanor Bortolini
10 WR AD Mitchell, Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
30 CB Jaylin Simpson, 33 CB Micah Abraham
10 WR AD Mitchell
33 CB Micah Abraham
S Marcus Hooker
10 WR AD Mitchell
97 DE Laiatu Latu
10 WR AD Mitchell
30 CB Jaylin Simpson
97 DE Laiatu Latu
Colts rookies arrive at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center for check-in, photos and helmet fitting for the start of Rookie Minicamp.
Laiatu Latu
AD Mitchell
AD Mitchell
Laiatu Latu
AD Mitchell
Laiatu Latu
AD Mitchell
AD Mitchell
Craig Young
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Jaylin Simpson
Jaylin Simpson
Jaylin Simpson
Jaylon Carlies
Jaylon Carlies
Laiatu Latu
Xavier White
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Tanor Bortolini, Spencer Shrader
Tanor Bortolini
Xavier White
Tanor Bortolini
Matt Goncalves
Tanor Bortolini
Tanor Bortolini
Anthony Gould
Xavier White
AD Mitchell
Micah Abraham
Matt Goncalves
AD Mitchell
Jaylin Simpson, Quentin Wilfawn
AD Mitchell
AD Mitchell
AD Mitchell
Jonah Laulu
AD Mitchell
Jaylin Simpson
Jaylin Simpson, Quentin Wilfawn
AD Mitchell
AD Mitchell
Jaylin Simpson
Anthony Gould
AD Mitchell
Jaylin Simpson
AD Mitchell
Laiatu Latu
Micah Abraham
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Jason Bean
Jonah Laulu
Laiatu Latu
Anthony Gould
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
Xavier White
Xavier White
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu
AD Mitchell
Anthony Gould
