Ngakoue making immediate impact on and off field for Colts

Aug. 9—WESTFIELD — It wasn't a long discussion as the Indianapolis Colts debated trading for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley coached Ngakoue as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016 and again last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. And he was on board immediately with the deal that sent cornerback Rock Ya-Sin to Vegas in March.

But the clincher might have been the support from former Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli. Considered one of the finest position coaches in the NFL prior to his retirement this spring, Marinelli has a long-standing relationship with Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard dating back to their years together with the Chicago Bears.

"That was a huge piece, the Marinelli factor was," Colts head coach Frank Reich said. "Because he's the best. Marinelli's report on Yannick was off the charts."

There's been no buyer's remorse this summer during training camp practices at Grand Park.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, Ngakoue physically resembles Indianapolis career sacks leader Robert Mathis. His relentless motor off the edge and non-stop competitive nature also are reminiscent of Mathis.

He's notorious for grabbing the red flag off the ground at the end of every 1-on-1 pass-rush rep — no matter what position he finds himself in when the whistle blows. In one memorable instance, Ngakoue reached around the foot of an offensive lineman while lying flat on his back just to make sure he reached his goal.

No play is out of reach in his mind. During one long run by the offense earlier this week, Ngakoue chased the ballcarrier 30 yards downfield.

"I think one of the first things we do when we go into a meeting is we critique our effort first, and there is a standard and we told them, 'You already have a high standard, but now we have to take that standard to another level,'" Bradley said. "Each day we look at our effort to make sure it is on par with what is the standard, and when you can show a play like that with Yannick and him running down the field, it's a good sign that they are holding that standard very high."

Tradition means a lot to Ngakoue.

Mathis has remained in touch with the top edge rushers throughout the NFL since his retirement after the 2016 season, and he's carved out a second career as a position-specific trainer.

Ngakoue has been in communication with Mathis in that role for years. But now that he's a Colt, that relationship is going even deeper.

The two men plan to have conversations each week during the season, breaking down the opposing offensive linemen and allowing Ngakoue to get a faster jump off the snap.

It's a partnership the 27-year-old welcomes with open arms.

"That's a guy that did it at a high level for a very, very long time and did it here all the way to like 37 years old," Ngakoue said.

Mathis recorded 123 sacks over 14 seasons with the Colts after being drafted in the fifth round out of Alabama A&M in 2003.

Ngakoue makes no secret of the fact he desires such longevity with a franchise. He played four years with the Jaguars after being taken in the third round out of Maryland, but Indianapolis is his fourth team in the past three years.

He's been productive at every stop, never finishing a full season with fewer than eight sacks. And he's made a habit of quickly fitting into the locker room.

Ngakoue was named a team captain in his lone season with the Raiders before recording 10 sacks and helping the franchise make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

"He's always been a guy that takes tremendous pride in his work, but he's a man and he's a true pro," Bradley said. "Being a great teammate is extremely important to him, and providing everything he can for this team is extremely important to him, and there is not a selfish bone in his body. And I think that part of it — when you are a rusher, there is a tendency to be that.

"'I have to get my sacks. I have to get this.' But I have really seen him involved to where (if) the team does well, everything for him will be taken care of."

That unselfish nature extends off the playing field.

This week, Ngakoue started a social media campaign asking Indianapolis-area teachers to send him their Amazon wish lists of supplies for the new school year. Surprise packages soon began arriving in classrooms around central Indiana.

Ngakoue called teachers "one of the biggest superheroes we have in this country" and recalled educators going the extra mile to ensure he had everything he needed during his own childhood.

He's been overwhelmed by the wide-spread response to his generosity, but he feels a calling to serve this community.

"I just feel like here it's different," Ngakoue said. "I just feel like this is home for me. It's just a different vibe here. Everybody has humility. There's no ego. So I just felt like it was my duty to be able to put my best foot forward and make an impact in this community."