When Laiatu Latu recorded the first sack of his NFL career on Sunday, he didn't really know what to do – all he wanted was to celebrate the moment. And he did, emphatically pounding his chest and yelling immediately after his strip sack of Caleb Williams that gave the Colts possession at a crucial point in the fourth quarter. But there was more to be done.
So, the veterans took charge.
Seventh-year linebacker Zaire Franklin grabbed Latu, pointing toward the end zone so the defensive end could celebrate closer to fans. When they got there, Latu's back was to the crowd – and the cameras – as he just wanted to keep head-butting his teammates in excitement. So, Franklin turned him around to face the right way.
Eighth-year defensive tackle Grover Stewart hunted down the football in the scrum of Colts and Chicago Bears linemen and ran it over to Latu, holding it high above his head, exuding pride. Fifth-year defensive end Kwity Paye was jumping right alongside him.
The crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium was roaring, because they knew what they had just witnessed. And Latu knew what he'd just accomplished.
"It hit me right in that moment, for sure," Latu said postgame. "I'm still living it up."
Latu's sack came in the fourth quarter of the Colts' Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears, on a first-down play that had the Bears on their own 18-yard line. The Colts were winning 14-9, but with just under seven minutes on the clock, knew there was a lot of football still to be played.
So, when Latu evaded his defender and snuck up on Williams from behind, forcing a fumble and bringing the quarterback to the ground, he knew how important it was.
"What made me the happiest was that I got to create the turnover in their own red zone with score what it was," Latu said. "It felt phenomenal."
Four plays later, the Colts scored their third touchdown of the afternoon thanks to a series of running plays from quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor. The score was 21-9, and the Colts had a little more breathing room. The Colts won by a final score of 21-16, as the Bears scraped together one final touchdown, but Latu's sack and the ensuing touchdown made enough of a statement that it felt like the game was already won.
"We had all the momentum after that," Latu said.
"It's huge," head coach Shane Steichen said postgame. "I mean, (Latu) was rolling pretty good all game and he was getting close, close, and then finally he got one there at the end."
The Colts knew it was only a matter of time before their first-round draft pick would get his first sack. They saw him get one in the Colts' preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, saw how hard he worked at practice and saw how much pressure he was able to put on opposing offenses and quarterbacks. They knew why he was on their team.
Latu knew it too.
"They drafted me for this moment," he said in the locker room, reflecting on what he told himself out on the field. His grin still hadn't faded. It probably won't for a long time.
