Back in Evan Hull's days as a Northwestern Wildcat, he was no stranger to the end zone.
Between 2019 and 2022, Hull scored 22 touchdowns, including 18 on the ground.
Since the preseason began, Hull had gotten close to hitting pay dirt but came up just short in the Colts games against the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears.
That's why when Hull scored in the second quarter after he got three straight carries inside the Eagles' five-yard line, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was not surprised.
Seeing Hull's passion for the game all throughout training camp, Pittman Jr. said Hull's eagerness to get better is a welcome sight in the locker room.
"Evan is just a really good kid. He wants to play and plays hard every single time," Hull said. "And I think we're gonna need that. Him being so young, he's always smiling and he's always happy and excited. So, it's just really good to have guys like that who are fresh that you can feed off of sometimes."
The touchdown capped off what had been a short but productive night for the running back.
He rushed for a preseason-high 25 yards on six carries, averaging 4.2 yards per carry (his best game of the preseason).
"I thought he did a nice job," head coach Shane Steichen said. "I think the offensive line paved some good holes for him, you know, to hit some creases and stuff. But again, I gotta go back and look at all those things – look at the tape but I thought he did a nice job."
In an interview Hull did before the start of the preseason, he acknowledged that even though he knew the preseason was more about development than actual statistics, he wanted to make a good impression on the Colts' front office.
"I just [want to show] why they drafted me, that'd be the biggest thing," Hull said. "What I can do out on the field with the ball in my hands, that I'm a trusted player and when they put me in positions to make plays, show that I can make those plays. When they put me in positions to block, to be on special teams, I want to show that I can do my job soundly. And understand my assignment and my technique. So, all those things, everything they trust me to do out there. I want to do it to the highest level."
