Colts Rookie RB Jonathan Taylor: ‘You Don’t Count the Reps, You Make the Reps Count’

INDIANAPOLIS — When Indianapolis Colts running backs coach Tom Rathman was recently assessing the skills of rookie Jonathan Taylor, he spoke of how the Wisconsin workhorse is smart.

Taylor displayed that in a Tuesday Zoom video conference call.

The second-round selection in April’s NFL draft was asked about sharing carries with Colts 2019 leading rusher Marlon Mack in a rushing offense that ranked seventh last season.

“You don’t count the reps,” Taylor said, “you make the reps count.”

Yeah, the rookie rusher gets it.

That’s why the Colts liked him so much that general manager Chris Ballard parted with a fifth-round draft pick — and he hates to give up selections — to move up three spots to select Taylor at 41st overall.

Although he averaged about 25 carries per game in his three-year college career, in which the First-Team All-American amassed 6,174 yards and was twice named the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back, Taylor doesn’t sound concerned about not getting as many NFL carries.

He just sounds excited to be with the Colts.

“It is just awesome being able to be here – especially being around experienced guys,” Taylor said. “I mean we’ve got Philip Rivers, I mean legendary quarterback, Hall-of-Fame quarterback. We’ve got Marlon Mack who is an experienced top rusher. You look at the film last year, I mean he’s out there making guys miss, he’s taking it outside, he’s taking it inside.

“So just being around a bunch of experienced guys, I think I couldn’t have ended up in a better situation because I am around so much experience. So I know there is so much for me to take from everybody – just little bits, pieces and nuggets of knowledge.”

Taylor spoke of how the NFL demands a new level of focus on details.

“I think it is another level of focus here,” he said. “You think about in college, you’re already focused, especially in your second, third year of college, you are kind of ready and know what to expect. It is even another level of focus at this level. I can just already tell.

“You don’t count the reps, you make the reps count. So whenever you’re in, you’re on – make sure you are 100 percent. Think about it, you are a professional now. When people are at their jobs – I know my mother is at her job and she likes to do everything correctly to a ‘T’ as perfect as possible. I’m taking the same approach here. I mean whenever my number is called, I’m making sure I’m on at all times because it’s my job now.”

Taylor has been working on drills relentlessly during virtual offseason training activities. It wasn’t the offseason anyone expected, with NFL facilities closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that seemed to make Taylor want to work even harder on his own.

“The biggest thing is speaking with the strength and conditioning staff, making sure that I’m following their program to a ‘T’ just to make sure that I’m trying to put myself in the best position possible in a time like this,” he said. “Like I mentioned earlier, as far as the football aspect I am sending in film to coaches of me doing specific drills just because that’s the only way you are going to get those one-on-one key coaching points without actually being there because they can’t see you do the drills.

“So the only thing that you can do to get those coaching points is to send those films in. So I think those are the two biggest things is staying in touch with the strength and conditioning staff, nutrition staff, making sure I’m following the plans correctly that they sent out and also sending in that film to coaches so they can coach me up through film really.”

That’s why Taylor sounded so upbeat about finally arriving in Indianapolis. He’s already participated in workouts with his new teammates.

“I feel great,” he said. “I’m alive, I’m an Indianapolis Colt. Life is good right now.

“I mean we’re moving in the right direction as far as everything going on – as far as trying to stay safe. It has been a wild time since I think March is when it really kicked in. So just continuing to use precautionary measures wherever you’re going – masks – and just trying to maintain.”

(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.)