WESTFIELD, Ind. – Being given the green dot in an NFL defense comes with a large mental load. For rookie linebacker CJ Allen, it also comes with an accent barrier.
"You know I'm from Georgia, so I got a little bit of a southern twang," Allen said. "I got to really enunciate my words."
For the rest of the Colts defense, the change isn't just in having a communicator with a thick southern accent. It's having a rookie.
In his first season as the Colts' defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo had linebacker Zaire Franklin wear the green dot to relay plays to the defense.
The nine-year veteran was traded to the Green Bay Packers in March, opening the opportunity up for another player. That other player very well could be rookie second-round pick CJ Allen, who held communication duties in his collegiate career at Georgia.
Allen missed the first two days of camp with a calf strain, but immediately assumed the role of the green dot guy when he stepped onto the field after being activated from PUP Friday morning.
"He already did it for his time at Georgia, so he's used to it," Anarumo said. "It's part of the development process for any young linebacker to learn how to do that. He's done a good job."
Serving as the green dot at a powerhouse like Georgia is not a small task, and Allen knows at the next level it means even more. However, the responsibility is something he's been hoping for his whole life.
"I see it as a great opportunity and a blessing," Allen said of the role. "You know, it's everything I pray for and dream of."
It wasn't just Allen's play at Sanford Stadium that earned him the responsibility. His work off the field in the offseason stood out to Anarumo.
"It's important to note that he did put a lot of time in in the facility and felt like he needed to do things that he could only do here, which was great," Anarumo said. "He's another guy that never left the building all summer. He works his butt off physically and mentally."
Linebackers usually have the green dot to communicate the defense, as they work closest with the front seven. For Anarumo, when Allen isn't on the field, it's veteran safety Cam Bynum who's no stranger to complex defenses with the green dot.
"It benefits me to have a DB because I'm always telling my back to tell the safety something in that 15 seconds, and now I can tell Cam a lot," Anarumo said. "I'm happy about that. I'm not worried about the mechanics."
Putting the green dot on a rookie comes with a large responsibility, but the Colts have seen Allen put in the work to succeed as a communicator of the defense.
