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The Undrafteds: Colin Ferrell

This is the first entry in a 13-part series concerning free agents signed by the Colts.

After a good run with “Meet Your New Colts,” (MYNC), I have a spinoff of sorts. They’re “The Undrafteds,” the guys who were passed over in the NFL Draft. That doesn’t mean they’re not good. It doesn’t mean they can’t compete. It doesn’t mean they weren’t courted by various NFL teams. It simply means that, come draft day, they didn’t get “the call.”

Over the last five years or so, my opinion of undrafted players has changed quite a bit. So has my opinion of late-round draft picks. Maybe it’s stories like Terrell “TD” Davis or Tom “Pretty Boy” Brady (both were sixth rounders). Maybe it’s because of Bill Polian’s track record of making every draft pick and free agent signing count for something. I don’t know. What I do know, though, is those late-round picks end up being big-time contributors for the Colts. Antoine Bethea and Charlie Johnson (sixth rounders in the 2006 draft) come to mind.

In some cases, undrafted players hit it big, too. We’ve seen it with Indy…two easy examples being Dominic Rhodes and Ed Johnson. Rhodes was an afterthought with Edgerrin James on the roster. But when James blew out his knee, Rhodes had an incredible rookie season. He hung around on the roster for several seasons (even suffering an injury of his own) before helping the team win a Super Bowl (of course, now he’s back again). Johnson was an immediate starter for the Colts after injuries ravaged the defensive line. You can pencil him in as a starter for 2008.

So, with Ed Johnson in mind, let’s take a look at the first featured member of “The Undrafteds,” Kent State’s Colin Ferrell.

He’s not Irish. He’s wasn’t in Alexander, Daredevil, or Miami Vice. In fact, his last name isn’t even spelled the same. This Ferrell spells his last name with an “e,” not an “a.”

This Colin Ferrell is, however, a strikingly familiar story when it comes to the Colts’ defensive line. He’s fast (4.8 40, according to NFL Draft Scout) and athletic (35-inch vertical leap).

Can you guess the next part of the equation? I know you can, Colts fans.

That’s right…undersized.

Part of me thinks Tony Dungy and Bill Polian invented the word. That’s because, in almost every case, you hear “undersized” in the same breath as “Colts” and “defensive line.” All their guys are undersized. It’s the way Polian and Dungy (also known as “fire” and “ice”…how do they get along?) like ‘em. It’s funny how, in the world of the NFL, being 6′0″, 301 pounds is considered short and small.

Ferrell is a product of Kent State, hardly a school that comes to mind when you think about football. The Golden Flashes finished last season 3-9, including a dreadful 1-7 mark in the MAC. Still, many regard Ferrell as one of the team’s highlights.

My heart goes out to a lot of these guys from smaller conferences. I mean, after Appalachian State’s monumental upset of Michigan last season, a lot of teams were thinking the same thing would happen over and over again. That included Ferrell, who hoped against hope that his Flashes would best Andre Woodson and Kentucky from the mega-football titan we all know as the SEC.

Unfortunately, UK waxed KSU 56-20.

You can’t fault a guy for thinking positively.

The second day of the draft certainly seemed excruciating for Ferrell. Several teams contacted him, but no one actually called his name on Sunday. Said Ferrell:

“I wasn’t expecting anything until the fifth, sixth or seventh round, and that’s when teams started to contact me. Carolina called, and even (New England Patriots defensive coordinator and former Kent State coach Dean) Pees called. But nobody pulled the trigger. It was kind of stressful and frustrating … but everything happens for a reason.”

-Recordpub.com, April 29, 2008

Ferrell considered a free agent offer from the Carolina Panthers. He ended up choosing the Colts. On a side note, this was the opposite of what happened with a free agent earlier this season, when ex-Raiders DE/OLB Tyler Brayton chose Carolina over Indy!

So what retained Ferrell’s interest in the Indianapolis Colts? It wasn’t the weather. It wasn’t the nightlife.

No, it was the warm and charming personality of one Bill Polian.

“(Colts president) Bill Polian called me to make it official. He said he thought I was a great fit for the Colts, that they’d been watching me, but didn’t draft me because they wanted to build their offensive line. He said they wanted me to be their first (free-agent) signing.”

-Recordpub.com, April 29, 2008

Ferrell says he chose Indy because the Colts showed consistent interest in him, bringing him in for a visit and following up with him. Geez…free agency sounds kind of like college recruiting, doesn’t it?

Ferrell does have at least one inspiring case he can look at. Former teammate Danny Muir was signed as an undrafted free agent by Green Bay last year. He made the team, and Ferrell says he’s sought advice from him. Muir didn’t play a ton last season (according to Packers.com, he appeared in three games), but making an NFL roster for a whole season is victory enough.

Will Ferrell be the next Ed Johnson? Only time will tell.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 11:16 am and is filed under undrafted free agents, Colin Ferrell, Colts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.