Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce spoke with media at training camp report day and discussed offseason work with the quarterbacks as well as his comfort level heading into his second season. (Video by Jake Arthur)
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00:00 >> What do you think is your biggest area of this kind of growth in this year?
00:04 Obviously, you saw what you were doing with the deep ball last year.
00:06 It's more than just being more capable in route tree?
00:10 >> Yeah, for sure, like showing more versatility, completing the route tree,
00:14 just making more catches on more different passes.
00:17 >> When we talked to Reggie in the spring, he had mentioned that one of the biggest
00:22 things he noticed about you from year one to year two was just like your comfort
00:25 level, like you don't have a wall up anymore.
00:28 Are you feeling that?
00:30 >> Yeah, I feel that for sure.
00:30 It's just good being back in the building, knowing everyone's name,
00:34 just knowing where to go and stuff like that.
00:36 It's just a whole lot more comfortable, and
00:38 I think it's hopefully will translate to the field.
00:41 >> How did you, were you down in Miami with you all season at work?
00:44 >> Yeah. >> What was the value of it?
00:46 >> It was super valuable.
00:47 One, just I think getting out and being able to go out there and
00:51 just connect with the players on and off the field, stuff like that.
00:54 And then two, I think it was very valuable just freshen up on the playbooks and
00:58 be able to walk through some plays and kind of do a little bit of unofficial
01:02 practice and then work on timing with the quarterbacks.
01:05 >> Is that a, timing with quarterbacks, these are new quarterbacks again.
01:09 >> Yeah.
01:10 >> That's so important to get that hook up with these guys every rep?
01:15 >> For sure, yeah.
01:15 The timing's super important on certain routes.
01:19 You wanna be able to know exactly how they're gonna throw the ball.
01:23 They wanna know exactly how you break out of cuts.
01:25 I think it's different.
01:26 They're learning how we run our routes differently.
01:29 Some guys, we might run a six step route, but some guys might be six, four, and
01:34 other guys might be five, 11 running.
01:35 So they know, I gotta throw this one a yard or two deeper for this guy, or
01:40 this guy comes out the break a little harder.
01:42 So they learn us and then we learn them.
01:45 >> Pit said there was a great turnout, like almost all the field guys came.
01:50 What does that tell you?
01:51 Does that tell you anything, that there was such a good turnout?
01:54 And what does that say?
01:55 >> Yeah, I think it just showed the commitment and
01:58 importance people put on it.
02:00 And it's great to see everybody, cuz people kinda went down there on their own
02:04 dime, figured out staying there and all that.
02:08 So it's good to see the commitment from everyone.
02:10 >> Pit said he kinda organized that.
02:12 What sort of just impressed you about him as a leader over the years,
02:15 so you got to know him?
02:16 >> Yeah, it was great seeing him organize something like that.
02:20 Just him as a leader, he's always been a guy, he's very fiery.
02:24 So once we get going on game days and stuff, he'll get us going on in the locker
02:28 room and stuff like that.
02:30 But yeah, it's good to see him in that type of leadership role.
02:34 >> What feels different about coming into camp this year as opposed to being
02:37 a rookie and everything is sort of new?
02:39 >> Yeah, like I said, there's the comfortability.
02:41 I pulled up to check in today and I knew where to park the car and all that.
02:45 >> [LAUGH] >> So that's a start right there.
02:47 But yeah, it's definitely just comfortability and all that.
02:50 It's just you know exactly what to expect and nothing's new.
02:54 >> Was it something you would tell Josh Downs,
02:55 other rookie receivers about how to handle this time of year?
02:58 >> Yeah, I think I'd tell them it's really a marathon, not a sprint.
03:04 It's about longevity through camp.
03:06 There's a lot of days that you might not come out here,
03:09 especially as a rookie, you might have a tough day.
03:11 But you just can't let those pile up.
03:13 You gotta combat a tough day, not your best, but a good day the next day.
03:18 Just try to make every day better than the next.
03:21 >> What was your interactions like with Anthony Richardson down there when you
03:23 were training together with all the skill guys?
03:25 I mean, you said there was times you had to tell him, pick your head up and
03:28 talk to the rest of your team cuz he's in the playbook or something like that.
03:31 >> Yeah, it was just good to kinda get to know him a little bit more off the field.
03:35 It was just, yeah, he's down there in his home state.
03:39 It's funny, he pulled up in the Florida shirt to the U.
03:41 Sort of a little bold and said, let's use our, yeah,
03:45 let them use our facilities, but I thought that was funny, I like that.
03:48 So yeah, it was good to kinda meet him off the field and
03:51 in more of a casual setting now with the coaches around.
03:54 You can really make people more comfortable and
03:57 they can really be themselves.
03:58 >> But how did you guys kick it off when you got done?
04:00 It said you work out today, but you also had the rest of the day to kinda have
04:05 fellowship and all that, so what did you guys do?
04:07 >> Yeah, we got together, went out to dinner and stuff like that.
04:11 I know Pitt was out fishing, I don't know if he told you that.
04:14 He loves that.
04:16 But yeah, so yeah, just really just got together, went out to dinner.
04:19 Guys were tired, we'd get down in one or two and
04:22 then kinda meet up maybe at seven, go out to dinner, stuff like that.
04:25 >> So you're not a fisherman at all?
04:27 >> I'm trying to get into it a little bit.
04:29 >> Salt water's better.
04:30 >> Yeah, as I say, I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.
04:33 >> [LAUGH] >> How different do you expect
04:35 the Shane Steichen-led training camp to be?
04:37 >> I don't expect it to be that much different.
04:43 I think obviously on the field, the product, hopefully,
04:47 offense can be better and more explosive and stuff like that.
04:51 But I think I haven't really thought of how different a camp might be.
04:55 I think looking at the schedule,
04:56 it looks like we got a little bit different of a schedule.
04:58 But yeah, I was just expecting to be similar football camp that I've had done
05:03 for the last 15 years.
05:05 >> What are you hoping to show during this training camp period?
05:08 >> I wanna show the growth I've made this offseason,
05:12 just being better at the top of my breaks, creating more consistent separation,
05:18 and just always catching the ball, making more plays.
05:21 >> Are you gonna miss going up against Tavon Gilmore?
05:24 Are you okay with that being the question?
05:27 >> Yeah, I'm gonna miss it for sure.
05:28 He was a good challenge to go up every day, go up against every day.
05:32 And he was always a super cool guy, someone that can just come with a question and
05:37 just ask them to kind of see from a DB's point of view, like what do you think?
05:40 So, thanks Al.