While the spotlight in today’s AFC Championship was Pierre Garçon (11 rec, 151 yds, 13.7 avg, 1 TD), rookie receiver Austin Collie was also a choice target for MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. Collie caught 7 passes for 123 yards, averaging 17.6 yards per carry and scoring a touchdown. Collie has been reliable for Manning and the Colts all season as opponents focused coverage on #1 receiver Reggie Wayne and Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark.
Watching Collie play this season, you would never guess that he was a rookie fresh out of BYU. He made 60 receptions for 676 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per reception. He scored 7 touchdowns for the Colts. He gets open frequently, rarely drops a pass, picks up yards after catches, and has never fumbled the football. He plays smart football and looks amazingly comfortable in his first year in the Colts system.
Collie’s accomplishments are a credit to his work ethic, but also an example of the leadership of Peyton Manning and the effectiveness of the Colts system. Collie told Sports Illustrated in 2009 about Manning’s work ethic and his interaction with receivers, especially the young guys like Collie and Garçon. Manning devotes a lot of time beyond team practices to meet with his receivers and teach them to succeed in the Colts’ offense. Manning and his receivers spend extra time watching tape to study themselves and their opponents. They also communicate regularly during games and throughout the week to fix their own weakness and exploit their oppoents’.
The Colts are a team of smart, hard-working players. They continue to recruit players with that work ethic that will make them successful in their first season, not after years more of development. Collie, Garçon, Lacie, McAfee. Is there any other team in the NFL getting such great results out of so many young players like this?
