PA Season Ticket Holder
05-11-2003, 01:50 PM
David Thornton had heard Mike Peterson, the Colts’ starting weakside linebacker the past three seasons, might not be back next season. He didn’t know for sure until his agent phoned and told him it was official: Peterson had signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Exit the Colts’ leading tackler two of the past three seasons.
Enter a huge opportunity for Thornton.
“I don’t get too involved with the personnel moves,” Thornton, a second-year veteran from the University of North Carolina said during the Colts’ May mini-camp, held this past weekend at the Union Federal Football Center.
“I really didn’t know exactly what player could be here or whose contract might be up. I just focus on what David Thornton needs to do to keep himself a better football player.”
So, when his agent relayed the news there was excitement mixed with surprised.
“Mike Peterson was a great player for this team,” Thornton said. “I would have thought he would have been back.”
Part of the reason Peterson isn’t back was because the Colts didn’t feel he fit into their salary cap structure for the coming seasons.
Another reason was the development of Thornton.
Thornton, a fourth-round draft choice, was a walk-on at North Carolina, but by the time he was a senior, he was the leading tackler on a talented defense that included defensive end Julius Peppers, last year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Carolina Panthers.
Thornton spent his rookie season playing special teams and playing extensively in the Colts’ nickel package, and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said it was apparent early Thornton had the ability to be an NFL starter.
“David’s going to have the first shot at it – we have a lot of confidence in him and we have high expectations of him,” Dungy said. “I think he’s going to be fantastic in that role, but whoever ends up playing that spot, it’s a high-expectation position. David, I know, is going to embrace that challenge. That’s why we drafted him. We expect him to do it.
“You always look ahead and see how you think the young guys are going to progress, and we certainly saw the ability to progress in David early on.”
http://www.colts.com/default_main.htm
Exit the Colts’ leading tackler two of the past three seasons.
Enter a huge opportunity for Thornton.
“I don’t get too involved with the personnel moves,” Thornton, a second-year veteran from the University of North Carolina said during the Colts’ May mini-camp, held this past weekend at the Union Federal Football Center.
“I really didn’t know exactly what player could be here or whose contract might be up. I just focus on what David Thornton needs to do to keep himself a better football player.”
So, when his agent relayed the news there was excitement mixed with surprised.
“Mike Peterson was a great player for this team,” Thornton said. “I would have thought he would have been back.”
Part of the reason Peterson isn’t back was because the Colts didn’t feel he fit into their salary cap structure for the coming seasons.
Another reason was the development of Thornton.
Thornton, a fourth-round draft choice, was a walk-on at North Carolina, but by the time he was a senior, he was the leading tackler on a talented defense that included defensive end Julius Peppers, last year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Carolina Panthers.
Thornton spent his rookie season playing special teams and playing extensively in the Colts’ nickel package, and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said it was apparent early Thornton had the ability to be an NFL starter.
“David’s going to have the first shot at it – we have a lot of confidence in him and we have high expectations of him,” Dungy said. “I think he’s going to be fantastic in that role, but whoever ends up playing that spot, it’s a high-expectation position. David, I know, is going to embrace that challenge. That’s why we drafted him. We expect him to do it.
“You always look ahead and see how you think the young guys are going to progress, and we certainly saw the ability to progress in David early on.”
http://www.colts.com/default_main.htm