The Indianapolis Colts supplemented their pass rush this past April when they selected defensive end JT Tuimoloau out of Ohio State in the second round. Tuimoloau, who put together an excellent summer, appeared ready to make an instant impact right away.
But his chance to make a splash had to wait. The Colts made Tuimoloau a healthy scratch for Sunday’s impressive season-opening win over the Miami Dolphins, which came as a bit of a surprise considering what the team invested to get him.
Later on, head coach Shane Steichen would reveal that the rookie was made inactive as a personnel decision since the Colts wanted to go heavier on interior defensive linemen against the Dolphins. Steichen added he doesn’t foresee it becoming a regular occurrence.
Despite the external surprise, Tuimoloau remained professional about the decision when he made his first public comments on Wednesday, saying he took the opportunity to still help his teammates out on the sideline.
“My mindset when (the coaches) told me (I was inactive) was how can I be an extra coach on the sideline?” he said. “What can I do to help the D-ends?”
Tuimoloau’s ability to embrace this role at such a young age (and with limited NFL playing experience) speaks volumes of his maturity levels. He never once acknowledged any level of disappointment, rather expressing gratitude for the unique chance he had been given.
“Just blessed to be on an NFL sideline,” he said, adding he tried to be as much of a student of the game as he could be. “I’m just grateful to be here.”
Tuimoloau will have a shot to make his NFL playing debut this Sunday against the Denver Broncos.