Tyler Warren is a lot of things. He's a tight end, a first-team All-American and a John Mackey Award winner. He's an FBS record-holder and earned Heisman Trophy votes – a rarity for a tight end. He's reserved but well-spoken, smart and versatile. He values hard work, commitment and being a part of a team.

He was a Penn State Nittany Lion for five years, a testament to his dedication and loyalty as well as his ability to stay patient and work to earn his opportunity.

Now, he's a first-round draft pick and member of the Indianapolis Colts.

"Being able to be here with my family and do this and be a Colt now is really something cool to say, and I couldn't be more happy to be here," Warren said Friday, sitting at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center a little over 12 hours after being selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. "I'm just really excited to start getting in the facility again and being a football player again."

That, at his core, is who Warren is; he's just a football player. Someone who, in his meeting with the Colts at the NFL Combine, was already talking about schemes and installs with the coaches. Someone who puts his head down and grinds every day, who tries to play the game the right way and just wants to do his job to the best of his ability.

"I'm just going to do whatever is needed of me week to week, whatever it takes to win," Warren said. "That's the whole point of why we're here, to win games and be a great football team."

Success is a priority for Warren – and team success always means more than individual accolades. Take Penn State's overtime win over USC, for example. Even when Warren set a program record (and tied an FBS record for tight ends) with 17 receptions for 224 yards in the victory, Warren's favorite memory of that game was being able to storm the field with his teammates after they won the game.

Sure, he'd never had 17 catches in a game. But he'd also never experienced a walkoff field goal before.

It was that mentality – that selflessness, that team-first approach – that made Warren so appealing to the Colts. In his freshman season at Penn State, Warren appeared in just two games and redshirted. The following year, Warren played in 13 games but only had five receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown. At a tight end factory and top-level Big Ten program like Penn State, Warren needed to wait his turn. He very well could have transferred and found somewhere that would give him more immediate opportunities.

He didn't even think about it.

"That's where I made my commitment to and where I wanted to stay," Warren said. "It's a blessing in disguise, really, cause you're going to play with really good tight ends when you go to Penn State, and you're going to learn from really good guys but it's going to be hard to get on the field…that's something that's helped me get to this point and helping me a lot in learning and developing with a tight end."

"In a day and age where guys back out at the first sign of competition…the first time somebody has to wait their turn and actually compete their ass off to play – you'll see it right now in the transfer portal," Ballard said. "For this kid to keep competing, never grip, complain, just keep working, getting better, that's a freaking beautiful thing."

Warren played behind – and learned from – tight ends like Pat Freiermuth (selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft), Brenton Strange (selected by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft) and Theo Johnson (selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft). Warren continued to get more playing time and opportunities each year, but it wasn't until 2024 that he truly broke out.

With 104 receptions for 1,233 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns, as well as four rushing touchdowns, Warren didn't just break out – he smashed through everything. It was only fitting, really, as the tight end quickly became known for his ability to play violently while still being smart about his actions on the field.

Over the years, Warren has learned what it means to work hard and be a team player. He grew up a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball – and playing multiple positions in football, at that. From quarterback to running back to fullback to tight end, it didn't matter. He just wanted to be on the field.

"I was always just a football player," Warren said.

Just a football player, yes, but a really, really good one, with all the right traits – on and off the field.