WESTFIELD, Ind. – In his first four seasons in the NFL, with the Minnesota Vikings, safety Cam Bynum played under three different defensive coordinators. Now, as he prepares to enter his fifth season — and first with the Colts — Bynum is also preparing to play for yet another coordinator in Lou Anarumo.
Anarumo comes from the Cincinnati Bengals, and Bynum comes from the Vikings. Anarumo was with the Bengals for six years, and Bynum was with the Vikings for four. On paper, Bynum is one of the new guys on the block. In reality, with the defensive overhaul Anarumo is bringing in, everyone is back at square one together.
"It makes me feel like less of a new guy when we have a new defense that we're all learning at the same time, so I don't feel like I'm behind at all," Bynum said on Thursday, after the Colts' second training camp practice. "Next step for me is just getting as close as possible to my teammates and getting to know everybody, even beyond football off the field."
At the root of it, that's one of the most important parts of training camp: building chemistry. The Colts have a veteran secondary group that knows what to do on the field to make plays, but that doesn't happen if there's no chemistry. So, how does someone like Bynum, with four years of experience, establish himself as a trusted leader in a defense with players who are going on their seventh, eighth, ninth year in the league?
Good question. That's what he's figuring out, and it starts with simply understanding what Anarumo wants to accomplish.
"Me, as a safety, I have to be the quarterback of the defense," Bynum explained. "So that's something I'm confident in of knowing coach Lou's system and being close with coach Lou to be able to understand his mindset and why he's calling certain plays, and then I can be able to bring that same attitude, the same mindset, to the rest of the players so we're all on the same page where everybody's playing as one."
From there, it's leading by example: taking responsibility, establishing good communication and showing you know everything about what you're doing on the field. And off the field, it's participating in little things like card games and being present with your teammates in whatever down time you may get, learning each other's personalities.
But Bynum also knows he's not the only leader in the room, and understands he still has room to learn and grow his game as he continues to develop those relationships with his teammates.
"I know I'm considered a vet, but we have Kenny Moore, we have Mooney (Ward) out there with way more years in the NFL than me, so I'm still here trying to learn from them also," Bynum said. "And that's the biggest thing that I'm really taking pride in is being able to come in here — I want to be a leader, but first and foremost, I have to be a good follower."
