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Colts Training Camp: News and Notes From Day 1

By Dave McKee

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Colts Training Camp is underway in Anderson. Sunday marked the first full day of practice for the Colts. Over 6,000 fans were in attendance Sunday afternoon as the Colts participated in 11-on-11 drills.

There were highlights on the field and off on Day 1 of the Colts training camp. T.Y. Hilton proved his worth early on with an 80-yard touchdown. At 34, Mike Adams proved he is still a defensive force with a pick-six. Robert Mathis is on the Active-PUP list while Nate Irving and Vick Ballard were medically cleared to begin individual workouts.

-= Related: Colts Training Camp – Ink On Indy Roundtable Discussion =-

Head coach Chuck Pagano was ready for the reporters who were chomping at the bit for injury updates during the press conference. Mathis and Donald Thomas are on the Active PUP to start camp, but are considered “week-to-week” according to Pagano.

To clarify, Active-PUP is different than the regular season’s Reserve-PUP list. Allowing that Pagano said the two were week-to-week indicates that they can participate in team drills when they are cleared. For those medically cleared like Ballard and Irving, the Colts will remain cautious. Neither will be “thrown to the wolves” and the staff will follow the process and count on the medical advice of the team trainers and doctors before they ramp up drills.

88 of the 90 players on the roster are medically cleared to play. Pagano proudly announced that all first-year and rookie players passed their conditioning tests which is a testament to player dedication.

Pagano was also excited to have Vick Ballard back at practice. He was asked if he was pulling for Ballard in his first practice after the long journey battling back from season ending injuries.

"“Love that kid. Think about what he did for this football team in 2012. He’s a warrior. He’s a great player. He’s a great teammate. That’s a foxhole buddy. You want to take him downtown with you because you know he’s going to have your back.”"

Ballard is most remembered for his corkscrew dive for an overtime touchdown against the Tennessee titans back in 2012, “We have that on the wall That’s the epitome of what it means to play like a Colt.”

Honorable Mentions from Day 1

Having searched for hours across social media I could not turn up a single Vine, GIF or video highlight of T.Y. Hilton ‘s 80-yard catch. Luckily, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com provided his take on the play:

"Hilton’s 80-yard go-route from Andrew Luck drew the loudest cheer of the day. When Luck let go of his bomb to Hilton, cornerback Greg Toler looked to have a yard or two on the Pro Bowl wide receiver. Hilton turned it into another gear, catching the ball in stride for the score.Andre Johnson greeted Hilton in the end zone, a sight the former Texan is used to seeing, just from the opposing sideline."

During my search for the elusive catch-and-run I did discover – for your viewing pleasure – other video evidence of how potent Pep Hamilton’s offense will be in 2015 with Andrew Luck at the helm. Take a sneak peek at this little Luck to Andre Johnson toss:

True. No one was covering #81, but it still looked good to see. Perhaps this little grab by Donte Moncrief will add to the hype:

Mike Adams’s aforementioned pick-six did show up on Colts.com as the highlight of the day. On his first play of the day he blankets Coby Fleener on the go route intercepting Luck’s pass and taking it the distance.

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