Colts Select Georgia Defensive End Marcus Howard in Fifth
Round
INDIANAPOLIS – Marcus Howard liked the fit immediately.
Howard, a six-foot, 237-pound defensive end from the University of Georgia, has watched the Colts in recent seasons. As such, he has seen Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis form one of the NFL's dominant pass-rushing tandems.
Freeney isn't large by NFL defensive end standards.
Mathis isn't, either.
So, Howard said, he figures he can fit into the Colts pretty well.
And not just for his size.
"I think it's a great fit for me, the type of player I am," Howard said around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, shortly after the Colts made him the 26th selection of the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the 161st selection overall.
Howard, who played four seasons for the Bulldogs, started as a senior in 2007, finishing the season with 10.5 sacks. He had 12 sacks in four seasons.
He also registered 42 quarterback pressures as a senior, with 12 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles.
"I think I'll be able to help the Colts rush the passer," Howard said. "They have a couple of guys just like me, probably just a tad bit bigger. I think I'm going to come in, help them rush the passer and help them on special teams.
"Just watching those guys play the past three or four years, I've seen the defensive ends that they use. It's pretty much the same Tampa 2 (defense) we got here at UGA. I think I'm going to come in and help the team out.''
A FIRST-HAND LOOK
Colts Select Kentucky Tight End Jacob Tamme
Intro: Jacob Tamme, a tight end from the University of Kentucky, became the Colts' third selection of the 2008 NFL Draft when the team selected him shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon, making him the 28th selection of the fourth round, the 127th selection overall.
By John Oehser
Colts.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Jacob Tamme spent part of his college career patterning his game after Dallas Clark.
Now, he'll get a chance to see the Colts' tight end first-hand.
Tamme, a tight end from the University of Kentucky, became the Colts' third selection of the 2008 NFL Draft when the team selected him shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon, making him the 28th selection of the fourth round, the 127th selection overall.
"I've watched some film on Dallas," Tamme said shortly after his selection. "The past couple of years, preseason, when I'm watching film, I watch five or six NFL guys. I've tried to model my game a little bit after him.
"He has been real successful, so I think it's a great offense. That's real exciting."
The Colts used their lone first-day selection on Arizona State offensive lineman Mike Pollak, selecting him with the 28th selection of the second round, the 59th overall, then selected Georgia Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler with the 30th selection of the third round (93rd overall).
"It's always hard to tell what teams are showing the most interest, but they were definitely one of the teams that was showing interest," Tamme said of the Colts. "There were probably five or six that you kind of got a feel might be the most interested.
"They were definitely one of those teams."
Tamme (6-feet-3, 239 pounds), who began his career at Kentucky as a wide receiver, moved to tight end in 2005, his sophomore season. He finished his career as the all-time leading receiver among tight ends in school history with 133 receptions for 1,417 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He caught 56 passes for 619 yards and six touchdowns this past season.
"Everyone categorizes me as a receiving tight end," Tamme said. "I used to be a wide receiver. That's part of the game I've always been pretty darned good at. I'll go in there and block, too. I'll do whatever any team wants me to do. I can split out, play an H-back, type role – whatever it is.
"I'm pretty comfortable being a versatile-type player."
Tamme graduated in three years from Kentucky with a degree in Integrated Strategic Communications, and is working on a master's in Business Administration. He was involved heavily in off-field activities at Kentucky, and was the Community Outreach chairman for the football team. He is a resident of Danville, Ky.
"That's great," he said of Indianapolis' proximity to Kentucky. "My family is real excited about that, obviously. To have the opunity to play for a team we've followed real closely and been big fans of the organization the past few years, that's pretty neat."
