ANDERSON, IN --- Colts first-round pick Phillip Dorsett has rare speed and the football skills to grow into an NFL superstar wide receiver, but in his first professional training camp his growth begins with lessons learned from two Pro Bowl counterparts, T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson.
"The biggest thing I learned from T.Y. is probably being crafty out there. He's a real crafty guy. That's how he gets open a lot," said Dorsett Friday. "The biggest thing I learned from Andre is just the way to work, the way to go about your business night and day on-the-field and off-the-field."
Now Dorsett knows from Johnson the way not to work as well.
"Not studying, loafing, lazy, taking snaps off," explained Dorsett when asked the wrong things to do as a rookie. Dorsett said Johnson has also been there to correct simple things in walk-through, like not watching the ball and jumping offsides. "When it's a run play, don't get a block. Stuff like that."
Dorsett is in the fraternity now, so to speak, of former University of Miami Hurricanes with Andre Johnson, even if Dorsett is a rookie and Johnson is entering his 13th NFL season.
"I worked out with him in the Summer and just seeing how he goes about his business, you want to be able to copy it because you want to go out there and play 13 years just like him," said Dorsett.
"I think the biggest thing is you just watch him run. Speed stands out," said Johnson Friday, when asked what he's noticed about Dorsett. Colts Owner Jim Irsay tweeted in May Dorsett ran a 4.24 40-yard dash for a scout on grass, a time that would've tied Chris Johnson's NFL Combine record on turf.
"He's a very explosive talent. He's going to get better with time, as he learns the game," said Johnson.
Johnson also said he thinks Dorsett has picked up Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton's offense very well so far, considering all the new wide receivers are still learning in camp. Physically though, Dorsett is confident he's already improved from OTAs.
"There's a lot of things that I have improved on coming into this camp, especially just running the short routes," said Dorsett, before answering what's he also still trying to polish. "Just the playbook, basically. It's just a lot of information. I'm getting it down, because I'm all over the place (lining up in different positions). Once (the playbook) trims down during the season, I should be fine."
Dorsett may be a season away from earning enough snaps to post upper echelon wide receiver statistics for an entire season, but the tools are certainly there for when the Colts will most certainly press him into action for specific situations as a rookie.
After all, you can't teach speed.
