Canadian Smith in tough to crack Colts roster
INDIANAPOLIS — Last year, when Toronto native Tevaun Smith attempted to make the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted rookie, his primary competition was mostly other undrafted rookies.
The wide receiver didn’t the survive the 53-man camp-ending cutdown but wound up being parked on the Colts’ practice squad for all but two games, when he dressed and played yet was never targeted by quarterback Andrew Luck.
The 24-year-old Smith faces stiffer competition to crack the Colts’ 53 in 2017. And perhaps even just to make the practice squad again.
T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief are the unrivalled top two Colts wideouts, with Chester Rogers, underachieving 2015 firstrounder Phillip Dorsett and 2017 free-agent signee Kamar Aiken (who had 29 catches for Baltimore last season) behind them.
Smith, who calls the North York area of central Toronto home, is battling third-year pro Quan Bray, four rookies and a fellow “first year” pro (who either didn’t play or barely played as rookies) to break into that fivesome.
Pressure’s on. And Smith, a former University of Iowa star, said he is good with that. He just wants to make more plays on the field.
“I expect a lot out of myself,” he told Postmedia after the Colts’ first practice of training camp, in the shadows and sun at openlidded Lucas Oil Stadium. “So if I don’t have a huge play, or a decent play, I’m kind of down on myself. But there’s always the next day. I only worry about the next day.
“Today, I only had one target and one catch (in 11-vs.-11 team drills) so I’m doing whatever I can control.”
After an entire off-season of further playbook study and more special-teams practice in the spring, Smith is hopeful he’ll be kept by the Colts come summer’s end.
“For me, this year, I was more focused,” he said. “Everything was kind of slowing down for me. So I took advantage of that and tried to come in with a beginner’s mentality, thinking I’m still a rookie.
“I’m still learning the playbook and still getting comfortable at different (wide-receiver) positions, because I only did a limited amount of positions last year. Now everybody’s kind of moving around, so I’ve got to get comfortable moving around, too.”
The most important onfield thing he has learned after one year as a pro, Smith said, is gaining a much better understanding of defensive schemes and coverages.
“Yeah. I’m getting those reps. And I’m doing whatever I can, on whatever special team. Just gotta keep on working every day to get better.”