INDIANAPOLIS — If you're going to select a player in the NFL Draft who is often overlooked and is a lesser-known commodity, you better make sure that they are hungry to change the outside perception of them.
That's what the Indianapolis Colts got in Penn State defensive tackle Rob Windsor on Saturday evening when they picked him up in the sixth round with the 193rd-overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Windsor arrived in Happy Valley, Pa., in 2015 and redshirted before debuting in 2016 and earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honorable mention accolades. He would earn Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2018, and then was Third-Team All-Big Ten as a redshirt senior in 2019.
Windsor's not flashy, and he might not have eye-popping stats, so not getting the top honors is almost to be expected. However, for those that know him and worked with him day in and day out, they knew his impact.
It's why Windsor was honored with the Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award in 2019, which recognizes the senior with the greatest career contribution to Penn State Football.
Now that's significant.
After being drafted by the Colts on Saturday, Windsor spoke with the media about himself as a player, expectations from himself and the Colts, and more. You can check out that entire session above, but here are some of the top takeaways:
» Windsor won't be flying under the radar when all is said and done: Windsor earned All-Big Ten honors throughout his Penn State career, performed well at the Senior Bowl in January as well as at the Combine in February, but he still landed in the sixth round of the draft.
But Windsor put it all in perspective, saying, "Being able to be picked up in itself is just a blessing."
"I'm just grateful for the opportunity and really excited to be a Colt," Windsor said. "Being under the radar, I'm just kind of used to it at this point. At some point in my career I'm gonna break through, and I don't think we'll have that talk anymore of me being under the radar.
"It's just got me hungry, to be honest, because I know my worth," Windsor continued. "I acknowledge that, and if everyone else doesn't acknowledge that, that just keeps me hungry."
» Where does Windsor fit with the Colts?: Windsor saw some different roles throughout his college career, which included his weight fluctuating between 280 and 315, although he plans to play around 290 in the NFL.
"Early on in my career, I played more one-technique, and then you saw me more at three-technique this last year in my senior year," Windsor said of his time at Penn State. "I'm not too familiar (with the Colts' scheme), but I'm excited to get familiar. I know you guys are like a four-down front penetration scheme, which I think I'll fit great into. I'm a penetrator. I'm honestly really excited to be able to play in this type of scheme and with this team."
Windsor said he wasn't too surprised when the Colts came calling on Saturday.
"They made it relevant that there was always a strong interest there," Windsor said of the Colts' interest in him throughout the draft process. "Just where I got picked was the question mark, but I always knew there was interest there."
» Windsor has a high motor, but that's not all: The first thing that jumps off the screen when watching Windsor is his energy and motor. He may not always make the play, but he regularly influences running lanes and the backfield, but he also says being known for his motor covers up some of his other attributes.
"I think my intensity sometimes overshadows some of my other traits, like my athleticism and my technique," Windsor explained, "Which is one thing the Colts definitely were attracted to about my game. But yeah, I think motor is just the most obvious thing that pops off the screen."
Get your first look at defensive lineman Rob Windsor after he was selected 193rd overall by the Indianapolis Colts.