INDIANAPOLIS – Donte Moncrief is just 20 years old but already possesses a characteristic seen in veteran receivers.
He wasn't aware of this until cornerback Greg Toler approached the Colts third-round pick after an OTA earlier this month.
The combine numbers of Moncrief have been measured and while those are impressive, Toler points to something else that will aid the young receiver.
"He's great at showing his hands last minute," Toler says of Moncrief.
"He showed his hands to the DBs late because we are taught to play hands and eyes. He shields them off and just does a great job with his body. If he keeps working, I think he'll be great."
That working part won't be an issue according to Moncrief.
A few months prior to the 2014 draft, Moncrief's mother had a message for her soon to be professional athlete.*
GOGA: *Grind Or Get Ate
That four-letter acronym now is on Moncrief's social media posts to serve as a reminder, even with his mom nearly 10 hours away.
"She always told me, once I got to this level, 'It's a business so either grind or get ate."
"It's motivation---either you're going to grind and get better or you're going to be lazy and get caught up. That's what I mean from GOGA—either go hard or someone is going to pass you up."
When the 2014 offseason rolled around, the question surrounding the talent at the receiver position wasn't a prominent issue.
Instead, it was the future of a position that will play a pivotal role in the development of Andrew Luck.
In the midst of minicamp, Luck is impressed by the "smooth" Moncrief and believes the newest Colts receiver will "do big things."
Physically, at 6-2 and 221 pounds, Moncrief also fits the mold the Colts were looking for at receiver.
"Donte is a big target. We needed to get bigger, too. We needed to get taller." wide receivers coach Charlie Williams says.
"He runs good routes and he catches the ball, that's the key. That's the key."
With the Colts nine-week offseason program wrapping up on Thursday, Moncrief fired off this tweet on Wednesday morning.
It's only right to finish strong. Good morning world. #GOGA — Donte Moncrief (@drm_12) June 18, 2014
For Moncrief, it's just a simple reminder of his mother's spring message.
"She told me stay humble no matter where you go," Moncrief says.
"Just take the opportunity, take every chance of it because it's either grind or get ate. As soon as she said that, it's been my motto whenever I type something."
