Colts Coach Frank Reich: ‘I’ll Never Forget Last Week Ever’
INDIANAPOLIS — Although they were communicating remotely, last week wasn’t a time for insulation and silence.
A nation cried out in protest of racism, which dictated the Indianapolis Colts had to deviate from the new normal of virtual offseason training activities. Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich said Monday that the conversations helped his team grew closer together while being so far apart.
Why shift the focus from football to race?
“I appreciate that question because I care, we care, our organization cares, our leadership cares – the Irsay family, (GM) Chris Ballard, myself, leadership,” Reich said in a Zoom video conference call. “We care about our players. So that’s primary. There is also the philosophy and understanding that I believe that you can’t separate the player and the person. If any one of us listening had an incredible burden on your heart – just imagine what is one of the heaviest burdens you could bear, and now you go to work. How are you going to be at work? You’re probably not going to be all there.
“So we decided to hit the pause button. We are at that time of year where we could do that – deal with the issue, talk about it so we could grow and learn. I wanted to learn. I knew our team could learn and understand from this issue. Part of not being passive is first understanding how to think about it so that is why we did that.”
Reich was asked about what will always resonate from the week, which concluded with former Colts and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy addressing the team in a video call.
“I’ll remember the accumulation of all the stories,” Reich said. “That it wasn’t just one story and it was heartfelt. The response of all the players. I’ll remember some of the things I’ve learned and grown from. One of the things I said to (owner) Mr. (Jim) Irsay when we talked, when Chris and I had a conversation with Mr. Irsay at the end of last week – he cares very much and was asking us about the week. One of the things I said to Mr. Irsay was when he was asking us about the meetings I said, ‘Mr. Irsay, I really think that I speak for the team in saying this will be a week that this team will never forget. That there are things that happened this week that we’ll never forget. There is a closeness in how we got to know each other that we’ll never forget.’
“So, I’ll remember that. I’ll never forget this week. I’ll never forget last week ever. I think I’ll remember and our players will remember, coach Dungy coming in on the last day. I thought it would be appropriate to have somebody come in, somebody other than myself and address the team. Coach Dungy came in and in only the ways that coach Dungy can do, he addressed the issue and he addressed it with our team. I think our players will remember what coach Dungy said. So those were a few of the things.”
Reich became the second NFL coach — after Miami’s Brian Flores — to make a public statement denouncing societal racism as well as police brutality in a convincing commentary last Monday. Ballard echoed that sentiment in an unscheduled Thursday chat with media that reveled how angry, frustrated, ashamed and embarrassed the GM was about not just the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis but also with a society that lacked empathy for the plight of black people, as well as his own confessed ignorance of not realizing just how serious the problem had become.
Flores shared his grief over losing a friend, Indianapolis business owner and former Indiana University football player Chris Beaty, who was recently shot to death while reportedly trying to prevent a late-night robbery downtown.
After an emotional week, the Colts will be looking to reset with their own workouts and some time to themselves. Rookies are expected to report to the team facility on July 22, then the rest of the team six days later.
Although the NFL on Monday sent to teams a memo that outlines safety protocols and procedures for the long-awaited return to work, Reich’s message to his players centered on maintaining focus and being careful.
“I think it’s a combination of, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’” he said. “‘Always follow the direction we’re getting from the medical experts on that kind of stuff. Be conscious of that. Don’t think you’re invincible.’ Nobody is invincible. Especially, our guys tend to think they’re invisible because of their physical presence and strength. So, ‘Don’t think you’re invincible, be smart. But also you have to be very intentional, very intentional in the environment we’re in.’
“As far as working out and the things you do there, since we didn’t have this time together, I think our players – I know our players have done a really great job of staying on point with the direction that we’ve given them, but we need to continue that through. We start Week 1 in Jacksonville. It’s going to be hot. We better be in shape.”
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
