Published: May 17, 2008 11:40 pm            

Familiar face returns to Colts' backfield

Manning, Addai pleased to have Rhodes back

INDIANAPOLIS — The return of running back Dominic Rhodes to the Colts’ offensive backfield has been greeted with smiles all around the Indianapolis locker room. But the biggest smiles may be on the faces of quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Joseph Addai and even Rhodes himself.

“I’m excited to have Dominic back,” Manning said Friday. “He gives us a real boost at running back. He gives us a veteran player there that is familiar with this [offensive] system. It will take him a little time to catch back up on any changes that we’ve made [during Rhodes’ one season away with the Oakland Raiders] and to get familiar with it again.

“But Dominic played great for us in the time that he was here [2001-06]. And I thought he really ran well against us in Week 14 in Oakland [in 2007]. So you still feel like he has it. He really played well in his last year here, so we hope to get that same kind of production out of him this year as well. I’m glad to have him back. He’s a good receiver out of the backfield, knows what to do and I think he’ll be a big addition to our team.”

Addai, who split time with Rhodes as a rookie in 2006, is pleased to have his mentor back.

“It feels good. You always want help at your position. Not matter what anybody says, they want to be the guy [be the starter]. But at the same time, it can help in the game plan for a long time. When [Rhodes] was here, he was behind Edgerrin James and he learned a lot. So now he’s helping out in good situations. I think he’ll be a good help for us,” he said.

“When I first came here, [Rhodes] made me feel real comfortable. And that was a good thing. Being a rookie is hard, so he made me feel real comfortable and was helping me out a lot. I didn’t know if I was supposed to become the starter or not [in 2006] or how it was supposed to come, but he handled it real well. So I was real happy for that.”

After winning a Super Bowl with Indianapolis in 2006, and very nearly earning game MVP honors, going to Oakland proved to be a real eye-opener for Rhodes. A four-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse rule at the beginning of the 2007 season didn’t help matters any.

“After I signed with Oakland [as a free agent], no, I didn’t think I’d be back [with the Colts]. As the year went on, I was hoping that the cards might fall into place where I could be back. But now I’m here and I’m excited about it too,” he said Friday.

“I’m just here trying to fit back in and learn the plays again. And, hopefully, my role will be the same. I can get in there and make some plays and help Joe out and help this offense and this team. It’s hard to forget [the 2006] season. In the end, when we won the Super Bowl. It was raining and we played together. We got beat up the whole year together. And then we came out on top. That’s basically what I remember and I’ll never forget it. Once I got back here and see all the pictures [of Super Bowl XLI] on the wall, it’s a humbling feeling. It makes my heart beat real fast to remember all of those times.”

Rhodes understands his role with the Colts now. Although he still wants to be a starter, he is comfortable in backing up Addai. After all, the combination worked pretty well two years ago.

“It was great. Joe is a great dude. He didn’t come in [as a rookie] with a big head or anything. He just came in ready to learn. And it showed with how he played out there on the field because he took what I knew, whatever knowledge that I had, what little bit I did have, and he kind of put it out there on the field. It helped him out. He’s just a great dude to play with and I’m glad to be back with him,” he said.

“I’m just happy to be back in a good situation. When they let me touch [the ball], I’m just going to do what I do. Get out there and make plays. I feel like I’ve always contributed. That’s why the fans love me here, I think. They know what I can bring. They know what I’m going to bring. I’m going to be hungry. I’m going to be excited. I’m going to bring that level of excitement and just give them everything I’ve got every Sunday.”

        

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