Colts GM Chris Ballard: ‘There’s Always Light in the Darkness'
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard opened a Friday video conference call with a message to the public, and specifically those on the front lines dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Hope everybody is doing good, everybody is healthy – families are healthy, everybody is safe,” he said. “Just to open, in these unprecedented times that we’re in and just want to thank all the healthcare workers, all the first responders, all the people out there that are making a lot of sacrifices around the world – not just in our country – but around the world to beat this. It’s heroic what they’re doing. I don’t ever want to lose sight or perspective of where we’re at right now. The entire world – what we’re trying to defeat. It’s something very difficult.
“I think our government here in Indiana has done a tremendous job and the people of Indiana have done a tremendous job with social distancing, listening to what the instructions were for us to stop this thing. It’s been an inconvenience for everybody, but it’s been the right thing to do. I always say there’s always light in the darkness. There’s always light in the darkness, you’ve just got to find it.”
Ballard and his Colts scouting staff have been preparing remotely for next week’s virtual NFL draft, where the GM will make his selections from his home.
While NFL offseason programs will begin as scheduled on Monday, they will be handled remotely because facilities are closed, in accordance with federal and stage regulations.
“Both our Executive Committee and Board of Player Reps have voted unanimously to approve a virtual off-season program up until the start of training camp,’’ the NFLPA said in a statement. “We will be sending out all the details and setting up calls with players and agents for how this will work shortly.’’
Voluntary virtual OTAs thought May 15 will consists of classroom work and remotely-instructed workouts. Teams can send players workout equipment and monitoring devices at a maximum cost of $1,500 per player. Players will receive a daily per diem of $235.
Meanwhile on the home front, Ballard said he’s appreciated the deviation from his usual weekly routine because he’s been able to spend more time with family. He and his wife, Kristin, have five children.
“It’s been interesting just with my family being home these last three-and-a-half weeks,” he said. “I almost forget – we have dinner tonight. We have dinner every night together. Our lives have been taken over by youth sports – they really had for the good. All of our kids are active. They have been in youth sports and so it was hard to get us all together at any point just to spend time together as a family, to eat dinner – little things you kind of take for granted that we’re doing now every night.
“To watch my kids – it’s almost like when I grew up – to watch them have to go out and play in the yard and play baseball in the yard and find time with each other. That’s been rewarding. I’m not gonna lie, that’s been very rewarding.”
He’s also appreciated how his scouting staff has adjusted to the routine in diligently preparing for the virtual NFL draft, which is next Thursday through Saturday.
“Our team, our group of scouts, they have been unbelievable in this process,” he said. “Not one of them even flinched once. They have not blinked. Any change, anything that’s happened, they have found answers to and I’m fortunate. I am fortunate to have the group that I have with me and around me that supports. I always say, it’s never about one person. You are only as strong as the people that you have around you. Our group is exceptionally strong and I am very fortunate to have them. They have solved problems along the way and found ways for us to be able to communicate, keep our process the same way.
“We have actually grown. There are a lot of things that I think we have figured out here over the last three weeks that we like and that we are going to continue to do going forward. We have still had some very healthy discussions. I kept waiting for somebody to break in and record it but it’s been fun. We have had the same debate. We’ve got the same work done. We’ll continue to go through this draft and operate as business as usual.”
The Colts have seven picks in the draft, starting with a pair in the second round at No. 34 and 44 overall.
