Published: August 19, 2007 12:02 am            

Colts, Rose-Hulman trying to prolong partnership

TERRE HAUTE — Although a three-year contract between Rose-Hulman and the Indianapolis Colts will expire following this morning’s final training camp workout, school officials and Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy would like to keep the camp in Terre Haute for as long as possible.

The team moved its summer training camp to Rose-Hulman in 1999. Prior to that, the camp was held annually at Anderson University beginning with the Colts’ move to Indianapolis in 1984.

“Rose-Hulman enjoys its relationship with the Indianapolis Colts. I’m proud of the efforts of our campus staff who work very hard to ensure the Colts have a successful training camp,” Rose-Hulman President Gerald Jakubowski said in a prepared statement that was released Saturday morning.

“Rose-Hulman would like to continue to be the site for the team’s summer training camp. We are in the process of trying to extend our agreement with the team.”

Dungy, meanwhile, likes the facilities that the school has to offer, as well as the centralized location of residence halls, cafeteria, locker rooms, weight rooms and practice fields.

“This is a great place. One of the best places I’ve been to [for training camp] in my 31 years [in the NFL]. I like the idea of going away [from Indianapolis]. It is costly. It takes a lot for our staff, our equipment people, and moving everything out here. There’s some drawbacks to moving [from Indianapolis]. But I just like the ability to get three weeks of concentrated work. I like what it does to our guys to have to live together and function together. And Rose-Hulman does it really well,” he said.

“They know what we want. They’re very, very accommodating. So it’s perfect from my standpoint. But economically, whether it still makes sense five years from now, who knows? But it’s been good for us and I think it’s one of the reasons we have started the seasons so well.”

The relatively short distance, approximately 75 miles, from Indianapolis to Terre Haute is also a plus Dungy said.

“It’s really good in a lot of ways. And just what we got here, the facilities, the three [practice] fields, the indoor [track], the weight room, the meeting rooms, the food service, everything is here is first rate,” he said. “Logistics, yeah. If we had a place to house the players [in Indianapolis], you probably would [move training camp]. But the other thing I like [about having camp at an away location] is that it gives people a chance to come out and watch us practice. We can keep practices open.

“I enjoyed that when I was a player, interacting with fans and getting them a chance to see what we do. I think if you are at home the whole time, and closed practices, that takes a little bit something away. Maybe I’m just old school.”

Dungy acknowledged that many NFL teams are now opting to keep training camp at their regular season practice sites. But whether that could work in Indianapolis, at least with the team’s present facility configuration.

“I don’t know where we could put people if you do it in Indianapolis. How do you say we can only have 200 people [watching practice] in or a hundred? So you probably would end up closing [practices] because you just wouldn’t be able to take the throng. And I think we’d lose a little bit of something there, a little bit of contact with our fans,” he said.



• Polian is hopeful of Colts return — Team president Bill Polian echoed much of Dungy’s comments about the franchise’s desire to return for a 10th straight year of training camp in Terre Haute.

“I never anticipate anything. You get it done and then it’s done. But the discussions [with Rose-Hulman officials] are cordial and they’ll continue. And I suspect that they’ll move along pretty quickly. They want us here, which is a good thing. And we’d like to be here. So we’ll try very hard to make it happen,” Polian said prior to the start of Saturday evening’s controlled scrimmage.

He also agreed with Dungy about the importance of getting away from Indianapolis for camp.

“I agree with him very much. It’s good to get away, good to have the time here and be together and be away from all the distractions that exist if you’re back at your facility. So, yeah, we’d like to come back and the [Rose-Hulman] president said he’d like to have us back, so we’ll work very hard to get it done,” he said.

• Training camp attendance set record — Rose-Hulman officials have announced that the school had set an Indianapolis Colts training camp attendance record.

Through the first 29 practices, which included both of Saturday's workouts, a total of 27,162 fans watched the defending Super Bowl champions prepare for the start of the 2007 NFL season. The old mark of 21,733 fans was reached last year.

According to school officials, 2,463 fans packed Cook Stadium Saturday evening for the final full workout of camp.

The Colts will head back to Indianapolis for the remainder of the preseason following today’s 9:30 a.m. workout at Cook Stadium. This morning's practice isn't expected to last more than an hour.

• Colts to kick to Hester — When Indianapolis faced the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI last February, Chicago’s Devin Hester returned the game’s opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.

While the Colts eventually came away with a 29-17 win in the game, Tony Dungy admitted afterwards that he probably should have kicked away from the Bears’ record-setting rookie. Now, nearly six months later, Dungy is going to get a second shot at Hester. And he’s going to take full advantage of the situation.

Indianapolis is set to face Chicago in the team’s 2007 preseason home opener Monday night. The game, which will be televised nationally by ESPN, will be the Colts’ first appearance back in the RCA Dome for a game since last year’s AFC championship win over New England.

“Yes, if [Hester’s] back there,” Dungy said following Saturday’s morning practice. “I don’t know if they’ll put him back there or not. But, yeah, we want to look at our kickoff and punt coverage people and see what they can do.”

Kickoff coverage, particularly, has been a problem area for the Colts the past couple of seasons. Those problems were readily apparent a year ago when Indianapolis allowed opponents an average of 26 yards per return.

“[Kicking to Hester] will give [Indianapolis’ coverage units] to go against the best. We’ll find out how good we are,” he said.

• Vinatieri still planning to kick — Adam Vinatieri, who has yet to kick in a live game situation during the preseason, may get his chance against the Bears.

Backup Shane Andrus did all the kicking in last week’s preseason opener at Dallas. Vinatieri has done some kicking during practice the last three weeks.

“Right now, we do,” Dungy said. “We’re going to see how it goes and how he kicks [in practice] and how he feels the rest of the [weekend]. But, yeah, that’s the plan right now.”

• Keith returns — First-year running Kenton Keith returned to practice Saturday morning and may be able to play Monday night against Chicago.

Keith, who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League last season, has been bothered by a gimpy right ankle for the past two weeks. His practice time has been limited by the injury.

He underwent an MRI Friday morning in Indianapolis but the medical procedure apparently did not reveal any damage to the ankle. Keith was able to take part in Friday's afternoon workout.

In addition to Keith, offensive tackle Ryan Diem (back, eye irritation), wide receiver Roy Hall (leg),and tight end Gijon Robinson (flu) also practiced.

Among those sitting out one or both of Saturday’s workouts were safety Brannon Condren (groin), defensive tackle Tom Johnson (foot), defensive tackle Rahmel Meekins, defensive end Josh Thomas, safety Bob Sanders (shoulder), defensive end Dwight Freeney, outside linebacker Victor Worsley, outside linebacker Kamichael Hall, defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), defensive end Travis Leitko, offensive tackle Gabe Hall (knee), outside linebacker Tyjuan Hagler (leg), and cornerback Michael Coe.

Also, wide receiver Aaron Moorehead, offensive tackle Daniel Federkeil, outside linebacker Clint Session (hamstring), center Jeff Saturday, offensive guards Ryan Lilja and Rick DeMulling, and wide receiver Roy Hall (leg). Moorehead and Leitko both took part in the evening practice.

• No interest in trading for Denver’s Warren — Polian said Saturday evening that the Colts have no interest in pursing a trade with the Denver Broncos for defensive tackle Gerard Warren.

“No, no, we have no interest in a trade there at all,” he said.

Broncos officials have reportedly said that if they can’t work out a trade for Warren with one of several NFL teams, they may end up releasing him.

• ESPN crew on hand — Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski, two-thirds of ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcasting crew, were on hand Saturday — along with members of the network’s game production crew — for a pre-game production meeting at Rose-Hulman.

Tony Kornheiser, the third member of the in-booth crew, was not on hand. He was reportedly in transit to Indianapolis. ESPN will carry Monday night’s NFL preseason game at the RCA Dome between the Colts and Chicago Bears.

Tom James can be reached by e-mail at TJames1475@aol. com

        

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