Indianapolis, IN
Chris Ballard goes on expletive-filled rant to defend ‘pissed’ second-round pick Adonai Mitchell
INDIANAPOLIS — Adonai Mitchell’s phone finally started ringing on Friday night. Colts general manager Chris Ballard was on the phone with what he hoped would be good news.
Mitchell’s family began to celebrate, but Mitchell left the jubilation to them. He had a different feeling simmering inside.
“Right now, the only thing I’m kinda feeling now is I’m kind of pissed,” Mitchell said. “I don’t know what other way to call it.”
Mitchell was projected to go late in the first round by some mock drafts but was not one of the seven receivers taken in it. He was the fourth receiver off the board in the second round, after the Colts traded back from No. 46 with the Panthers to No. 52 and made him their first offensive selection of the draft.
“At the end of the day, people were chosen before me. That’s just the reality of it,” Mitchell said. “My job now is to make them pay.”
Mitchell had some first-round buzz for obvious reasons: He ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, good for third among all receivers at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. Throw in a 39.5-inch vertical jump and a 136-inch broad jump, and he posted a score of 9.99 out of 10.00 on the Relative Athletic Score, which compares all combine participants since 1987.
But the reasons he slipped aren’t hard to find either: Mitchell had just one year of big production after transferring from Georgia. He also came with concerns about his preparation, attitude and interviews with teams, as expressed by anonymous NFL scouts to longtime journalist Bob McGinn of Go Long as well as on NFL Network during the draft broadcast.
The Colts decided to take him after a small trade back, with hopes that he can compete with Alec Pierce to be the team’s starting ‘Z’ receiver and deep-ball specialist for second-year passer Anthony Richardson.
Moments after the pick, general manager Chris Ballard delivered a profane defense of his newest receiver against those anonymous scouting reports.
“I read some of the (expletive) that was said on TV, just some of the typical (expletive) — excuse my language — just our typical league: unnamed sources, bad interviews. That’s such (expletive),” Ballard said. “It just (expletive) is. It’s (expletive). Put your name on it. I’m tired of it.
“We tear these young men down. These are 21- or 22-year-old young men. If people out there can tell me they’re perfect in their lives. It’s crap. It’s crap. This is a good kid. For those reports to come out — I said it last year. It’s (expletive). I’m sorry. I apologize. I don’t, but I do.”
Mitchell’s entrance into the NFL is laced with chippiness, which the Colts believe is in some ways essential to his makeup and any chances of reaching the ceiling within those athletic traits. They have popped in some of the biggest games of his life so far, including in the College Football Playoff and against Alabama. But now, the challenge is drilling that fury down into a day-to-day professionalism and consistency that can sustain a career at the highest level.
That’s where they hope the match with receivers coach Reggie Wayne can work. Wayne brings fire to the role but also a relatability as a six-time Pro Bowl receiver with the Colts who won a Super Bowl and is regularly in the running for the Hall-of-Fame.
“He’s competitive. He’s like any young player: They get built up so big now, especially in college football with NIL and all the stuff they go through,” Ballard said. “Sometimes, a little adversity, a little humbleness is a good thing. I think he’ll respond good to it.”
It’s time to get to work. In Mitchell’s eyes, he’s bringing a simple skill set to the Colts and to the NFL:
“The best,” he said.
Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.
Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.
The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.
The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.
The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.
Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.
See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.
Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.
All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.
(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.
Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.
Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.
An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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