Drew Ogletree: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Files
Parenthood. It is one of life’s greatest challenges but also one of its most fulfilling.
The responsibility of taking care of a child cannot be taken lightly and not only has an impact on the parent’s character but helps shape the maturing child as well.
Parenthood at any point in time is difficult. Now, imagine being just 17 years old and having to care for your newborn son. It becomes even more difficult when you are trying to be a good father yourself because your own father has never really been in your life.
This is “Rookie Files,” a series on Horseshoe Huddle that gives you the backstory of every rookie for the Indianapolis Colts. Going player by player, we look at their journeys to the NFL and what makes each one unique while also detailing how they help the Colts. Next is Drew Ogletree, whose determination to provide for his son is all the motivation needed to achieve his NFL dream.
Colts Media
A Life-Changing Moment
Ogletree was born on July 28, 1998, in Dayton, Ohio, to Andre Ogletree and Angie Hartman. His younger brother, Aaron, is just one year younger than Drew.
Family life was hard for Drew growing up. His parents split up when he was only seven years old, and his father moved across town. While his father would visit often in the beginning, the frequency of those visits decreased as time went on.
“We had a good connection,” Ogletree said via the Indy Star. “And then it started to fade away.”
His mother tried her best to keep Andre in the two boys’ lives, but the visits eventually turned into a yearly check-in. Drew saw how much his mom was struggling to keep his father involved, and made it known to her that it was okay to stop.
What Andre was missing was his two sons becoming young men. He eventually missed out on becoming a grandfather, as well.
On October 24, 2014, when Drew was a junior at Northridge High School, he was warming up on the football field before a game with the special teams unit. His life changed forever when someone came up to him and said his girlfriend was going into labor.
Drew rushed back to the locker room, took off his pads, and rushed to the hospital just in time to see his son, Andrew Ogletree Jr., being born. Born nearly two months premature, Drew got a chance to hold his newborn son for only a couple of minutes before Andrew Jr. was rushed to the intensive care unit.
It was at that moment that his girlfriend told him to go back and play. Ogletree rushed back to the stadium for the second half, and while his team lost that day, nothing could wipe the smile off the new dad’s face.
The Grind to Provide
While juggling life as a new father, Ogletree was becoming a star athlete at Northridge, both on the gridiron and the hardwood.
Ogletree received varsity letters in football and basketball and became the best player on each team. Under head coach Bob Smith, he tallied 102 catches his senior year and was named First-Team All-Ohio. Ogletree experienced similar success in basketball, being named First-Team All-Ohio and the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year.
But while things were going well on the field, Ogletree was learning first-hand how difficult parenthood can be. Eight months after Andrew Jr. was born, Drew and his girlfriend split up, agreeing on a custody plan allowing Drew to have his son on the weekends. While this would allow his son to attend all of dad’s football and basketball games, that meant two babies in the house at once.
Wait, two babies? As it turns out, Drew’s mother, Angie, gave birth to Drew’s younger brother, Micah, just ten days after Andrew Jr. was born. While Angie was always willing to help, she could only do so much with a baby of her own to take care of.
While trying to take care of Andrew Jr. and be the present father figure he never had, Drew had to make concessions. He could not attend football camps in the summer because he was caring for his son. Ogletree demonstrated his talents in football and basketball the best that he could, but the scholarships did not come his way. A scholarship would be the only way he could afford college.
Ogletree had originally thought that basketball was the route he’d take. Earning player of the year and making the All-Ohio team were quite the accomplishments, and his average of 14.5 points per game led his team. But in the end, it was football that came calling.
The University of Findlay offered Ogletree a half-ride scholarship to join their football team. The Division II school was not far from home, and Ogletree would now be able to afford college. While getting the chance to play college football was great, Ogletree was determined on getting a degree to provide for his son.
A Change of Scenery and Position
Ogletree came to Findlay as a tall, long wide receiver with an insane catch radius. At 6-5 and 185 pounds at the time, coaches imagined the kind of weapon he could turn into. But Ogletree was very raw and would take time to develop.
As a freshman, Ogletree only appeared in six games, catching three passes for 29 yards. The focus was for him to develop as a wide receiver and become acclimated to the college game.
Ogletree took on a much bigger role in the offense his sophomore year. He started seven of the team’s 11 games while hauling in 23 catches for 328 yards and five touchdowns. Ogletree felt he was settling in in the Oilers’ offense and finding his grove.
Ogletree’s junior season was more of the same, starting all ten games and racking up 28 catches for 428 yards and five touchdowns. He was named All-GMAC honorable mention and led the Oilers in receiving touchdowns. Things were looking up for Ogletree, who was watching Andrew Jr. grow up and making sure his son knew he was a priority in his life.
During Thanksgiving of 2018, Drew reconnected with his father. Andre apologized to Drew for not being there for him through the years and for not being a good father to him or a good grandfather to his son. After a long talk between the two, Drew wanted his father back in his life and wanted him to be involved in Andrew Jr.’s life as well.
The two began to reconnect, meeting for dinner often and staying in contact with one another. The meetings would not replace all the years lost between the two, but rather build up a new relationship between father and son that could be passed on to a young grandson.
Unfortunately, Andre would not get to see his son play football again. Drew suffered a knee injury that would keep him out for the entirety of the 2019 season. In 2020, Andre became sick with COVID-19 and passed away during the pandemic at the age of 49.
While Drew did not have much time to reconnect with his father, he is grateful for the time he had with him.
“He’s not there anymore, but those are the things I cherish,” Ogletree recalled. “I dream about it sometimes.”
It was now time for Ogletree to attack a dream he never thought possible: Playing in the NFL. While rehabbing his knee at Findlay, Colts area scout Chad Henry met with Ogletree and told him they were interested in the prospect, but only if he made the switch from wide receiver to tight end. Ogletree had gone from 185 pounds as a freshman to 235 pounds as a senior, but he would need to add even more weight if he wanted to transition to tight end.
But Drew kept thinking about what his father told him on that Thanksgiving Day. It was not a matter of if he would make it to the NFL, it was a matter of when. Not only was he motivated to make his son proud, but now he wanted to prove his dad right.
Ogletree got to work, putting on the weight to play the tight end position and transferring to FCS Youngstown State, where his former offensive coordinator at Findlay was now the offensive coordinator. Ogletree immediately got to work for the Penguins’ coaching staff as he learned how to play tight end.
“I thought it was smooth in the passing game honestly because once I put my hand up out of the dirt, once I get out of my stance, I feel it’s just like I’m running a normal route like I am on the outside,” Ogletree explained. “Transitioning into the run game and everything, it was a little slow at the beginning because I didn’t know the correct footwork, hand placement, leverage to hold my block but as the spring went on and fall camp rolled around, I felt like I started to improve a lot more, started to learn the lingo a little better and then understand where I needed to be in what situation.”
Ogletree only started two games in 2020 as he made the switch, catching 12 passes for 109 yards. 2021 brought about better results as Ogletree hauled in 28 catches for 282 yards and turned his attention toward the NFL draft.
The Colts had the most contact with Ogletree leading up to the draft. Ogletree felt confident he was going to be drafted, but the nerves still crept in on the final day.
“I thought I was going to be drafted around sixth, seventh round, something like that,” he said. “Once I saw the Colts took a tight end, I was like oh man. I was bummed out because they’re only an hour and a half away from my hometown, so it would have been a great experience to play over there. So, I was a little bummed out. Then, I received a call, and I was just in there with my family, and I couldn’t be more blessed.”
Colts general manager Chris Ballard was on the other end of the line, telling Ogletree, with Andrew Jr. by his side, that the Colts had taken him with the No. 192 pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
© Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
How Ogletree Helps the Colts
Ogletree brings another huge presence to the Colts’ tight end room. At 6-5 and now 260 pounds, he joins 6-5 Mo Alie-Cox and 6-7 Jelani Woods to form one of the biggest tight end rooms in the NFL.
Ogletree is a great athlete who can make plays all over the field. His ability to stay fluid in his movements while weighing what he does makes him a mismatch all over the field. The skills Ogletree acquired while playing wide receiver are still there, and he has shown he knows how to use them.
Ogletree has already made a name for himself amongst Colts fans, impressing daily throughout training camp. Ogletree seemingly made plays every day of camp, making acrobatic catches for touchdowns. The Colts were very impressed with Ogletree’s progression and even envisioned a sizeable role for him within the offense this season.
Unfortunately, that will have to wait until 2023. In joint practices with the Detroit Lions a couple of weeks ago, Ogletree went down with a non-contact knee injury. Further testing revealed that he had torn his ACL and would have to miss the 2022 season.
But Ogletree is keeping his head held high. The next day after his injury, Ogletree was on the sidelines watching practice with a brace on his right leg as he cheered on his fellow tight ends. He has been through this before, and a knee injury is not going to deter him from coming back stronger and being the best tight end he can be.
And not for his sake, but for Andrew Jr.’s sake, whose eyes light up every time he sees his dad on the football field. Andrew Jr. is seven years old now and starting to play football himself. Drew wants to make it to as many games as possible and be his biggest fan in the stands.
Ogletree has accomplished his ultimate goal. No, not playing in the NFL, but providing for his son and being the ever-present father he never had growing up.
More Rookie Files
Have thoughts on Drew Ogletree and the Rookie Files series? Let us know in the comments below!
Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.
