Published: July 26, 2008 11:30 pm         

Camp Scene: Sanders confident he’ll be delivering hits by September

TERRE HAUTE — If anybody is worried about the health status of reigning National Football League “Defensive Player of the Year” Bob Sanders, the hard-hitting Pro Bowl strong safety has a fairly succinct answer — he’s fine. Or rather, he should be fine once his surgically repaired right shoulder completely mends.

In fact, Sanders — who is on the Indianapolis Colts physically unable to perform list after undergoing a medical procedure on the shoulder this past spring — figures that he’ll be ready once he gets clearance to return to the practice field.

His primary goal is to be ready for the regular-season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 7. If all goes well, though, he might be back in the Colts’ defensive lineup a week or so before that with limited work in the team’s final two preseason games. Whatever the case, Sanders doesn’t think he’s that far away from getting back to his usual leadership position in the Indianapolis secondary.

“I’m right there,” he stressed this week. “We’re just trying to make sure during these next two weeks that I’m completely there and not risk getting injured again. But right now, that’s my thought. I’m pretty sure the coaches are thinking the same thing. We’re just trying to be on the same page and make sure that this thing is completely healed and it’s a strong as it can be when I get out there.”

Sanders would like to get some work in before the Bears game, if only to make sure that his timing and game conditioning are up to snuff. While conditioning has never been much of a problem for the hard-hitting Iowa alum, getting used once again to the fast-paced tempo of an actual game has its advantages.

“To me, you would think [playing in a preseason game] wouldn’t be as important. Just to say that the regular season means everything. But the timing, you need that game speed before you actually get out there for the first game of the season and go full contact. So I definitely think that you need a little bit [of playing time in the preseason] before you get out there,” he said.

• Players sit out morning workout — A handful of Colts didn’t see any practice time Saturday morning but all were back for the late afternoon workout.

Center Jeff Saturday, cornerback Tim Jennings, offensive tackle Ryan Diem, middle linebacker Gary Brackett, defensive end Robert Mathis and wide receiver Marvin Harrison sat out. Also missing were the players on the team’s physically unable to perform list — quarterback Peyton Manning (knee), offensive guard Ryan Lilja (knee), defensive end Dwight Freeney (foot), safety Bob Sanders (shoulder), rookie tight end Tom Santi (knee) and strong-side linebacker Tyjuan Hagler (torn pectoral muscle).

Second-year outside linebacker Clint Session had an excused absence in order to tend to family business in Florida.

“Clint was gone [Saturday]. It was a personal matter, [he] had to fly back to Florida. But he should be back [Sunday],” Dungy said.

n Injury updates — Safety Melvin Bullitt suffered a sprained right thumb during the morning workout and did not practice later in the day. Rookie linebacker Philip Wheeler left the early session due to soreness in his knee.

“Wheeler has just irritation in the knee and [it’s] a condition he’s had that flared up. We’re hoping that it’s not too serious. Melvin Bullitt did have a little sprained thumb that they’re going to have to work on. He’s probably going to miss a few days, but nothing that should hold him out more than a week,” the Colts coach said, adding that he doesn’t know how long Wheeler may be sidelined.

“Don’t know for sure. [Associate head athletic trainer] Dave Hammer told me they took him for the MRI. Didn’t have the results back, but it’s a condition that he’s had. They’re hopeful that it’s not too serious.”

• No update on Pitcock — Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock was not available for the second straight day. Dungy hopes to have some information on his status early next week.

“Don’t know exactly [when Pitcock will be back]. He’s just excused for some personal things that he’s taking care of. When he gets back, he’ll be back,” Dungy said.

• First day in pads, heat — Saturday’s afternoon’s workout was noteworthy for two important reasons. It was the Colts’ first practice in full pads and it was also the first with sweltering temperatures. The thermometer registered 87 degrees on the Rose-Hulman practice fields during most of the session.

“I told the team afterwards [that] we have to learn how to practice in pads,” the Colts coach said. “What we’re trying to do, you know, we’ve gone three months now and then the first two [training camp] practices [in jerseys and shorts]. So we’ve got to learn how to hit, deal with the contact and get done what we need to do without blowing each other up. So that’s something you always have to learn.”

Dungy especially liked the work turned in by the team’s young running backs (Clifton Dawson, Mike Hart and Chad Simpson).

“In pads, they played bigger than they did in shorts, which is good to see,” Dungy said. He wasn’t as pleased as the fans were to see weak side linebacker Freddy Keiaho deliver a pad-popping tackle to Hart on a flare pass during a team period.

“That’s not what we’re trying to get done,” he said wryly.

Dungy did like the warmer climate after two days of cooler temperatures.

“We did [have a hotter practice], which is good,” he said. “[It’s] good so our guys do know that it’s not going to be 65 and overcast everyday.”

• Former backups get new jobs — A pair of former Colts’ backup quarterbacks, Kelly Holcomb and Cory Sauter, have found employment outside the NFL.

Holcomb, who served as Peyton Manning’s first understudy with Indianapolis in the late 1990s, recently took a job as a sideline reporter for the Middle Tennessee State Radio Network. A former standout for the Blue Raiders, Holcomb has retired after playing for five league teams (Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and the Colts) over 13 seasons.

“It’s something I always wanted to do, radio and TV,” he said recently.

Sauter, meanwhile, has been named as an assistant coach at Southwest Minnesota State University. After serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europa last year, he will be the Mustangs’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. The ex-University of Minnesota quarterback played with the Colts in 2002 and 2003.