Laiatu Latu doesn't like to take days off. He says he wants to be great, and he knows that comes at a price – one he's more than willing to pay.
So, it's no surprise that Latu didn't take time off after his rookie NFL season. Instead, he traveled back home to California and set up training sessions with his private defensive line coach, Eddy McGilvra, as well as his current teammate Kwity Paye and former Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.
"My offseason, I definitely honed in on a lot of power and being able to work off of that," Latu said after the Colts' sixth training camp practice on Tuesday. "I feel like I've been demonstrating that a little bit more this camp as opposed to last year. And just being able to know who I'm working with on the field and stuff like that, so I've definitely elevated my game from last year for sure."
"(He's) a guy that wants to be great," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Tuesday. "He wants to be the best. Works tirelessly every day, like a lot of our guys, but really pleased with where he's at, what he's doing and the skillset that he brings at that position."
Last year, Latu was the new guy on the block. As a first-round pick, and the first defensive player off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, expectations were high for the young defensive end. But he had a lot to learn, and while he found some success his rookie season – his pass rush win rate of 14 percent put him at third-best among regular rookie pass-rushers – Latu knew he was capable of much more. So did his coaches.
"You see the God-given athletic ability as soon as you watch him, as soon as the tape turns on, as soon as you see him on the field," Anarumo said in June. "Anybody can see that. Now, it's just going to be the recognition of how he's about to get blocked, both in the run game and the pass game. I think that's coming a little bit each day."
"Rookies, generally, they improve each year obviously," Anarumo added. "But he was close many times. This year, we feel like he'll seal the deal. So, we're looking forward to it."
Latu finished his rookie season with nine quarterback hits and four sacks but was close to having many more. This year, he's focused even more on getting "off the rock" in time and getting even faster – the little things you can emphasize once you move past your rookie season.
"Everything I've been doing has been to get better at being a D-end in that position on the field that Lou and the defense needs me to be," Latu said.
Now, Latu's offseason work is translating on the field at training camp. He's put on some muscle mass but remains fast and agile. And in matching up consistently – and competitively – with left tackle Bernhard Raimann, Latu is also facing the challenge of going up against a veteran who knows what to expect from him.
"This year, being able to work off Bernie, who just got paid and is one of the best left tackles in the game, being able to work off him and being able to up my game every day, it's super beneficial," Latu explained. "Being able to know what kind of set I might get, and what set he's getting out of me, and I'm trying to switch it up so he doesn't know what I'm doing."
With his relentless drive and work ethic, Latu has set himself up well for a successful training camp – and if expectations were high for him last year, they're only higher this season.
