Fire-breathing Pagano has Colts off and running
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Chuck Pagano certainly made an impression when the Indianapolis Colts reported for the start of training camp.
On the night before the Colts were to start their preseason practices, Pagano gave a pep talk to the team. Afterwards, several of the team's players went to Twitter to acknowledge their coach's comments.
It's safe to say that most, if not all of the Indianapolis players, have bought in to what the Colts coach is selling. And saying.
"Just a little MMA (mixed martial arts) stuff, that's all," Pagano joked later.
"But really, it's been our mantra since we got here. This thing is about family, it's about serving. I told (the team) when they left (at the end of offseason workouts) that I (didn't) want them worrying about anything but two things: how to become a champion and how to serve."
He continued.
"Now I don't know when that championship is going to come. But when it does, we'll look back on it and know exactly why it happened. We talked about the proper state of mind," Pagano said.
One of the things that the first-year Colts coach discussed was the perception of the team from the national media.
"We don't have a choice in this. And everybody's got a job to do. It's basically we can, we must, we will get the job done. By any means necessary," Pagano said.
"Certainly by the framework of the rules. But we just take it one day at a time and great things will happen."
That perception, that the Colts are going to struggle this season, has lit a fire under the team's players and coaching staff.
"To be honest with you, nobody really expects this team to do much," Pagano said. "Some of that was (included in his talk to the team) fuel in that a little bit. But (the Colts) are ready."
