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Colts emphasize protecting Luck

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) – “I’m ready to hit somebody. It’s been too long,” said Anthony Castonzo.

And that’s exactly what the Colts front office wants their offensive line to do – hit people while protecting Andrew Luck.

“He’s one of the best in the game, so it’s more on us as an offensive line to keep him upright and we know we have to do a better job than we have in years past,” said offensive lineman Jack Mewhort. “So that’s a big emphasis for us going into camp.”

The Colts spent half of their draft picks on offensive linemen, and they put Joe Philbin in charge of insuring their quarterback stays upright in the pocket.

“Real excited about the guys that we added to the football team. So certainly, you know, the reason I got hired as a coach is to help players get better,” said Joe Philbin. “So that’s my job, that’s the task at hand, and I’m looking forward to that challenge.”

“He should be able to be back there and smoke a cigarette if he wants before he throws the ball,” said Castonzo.

“I’ve always thought this about pressure,” said Andrew Luck. “One, I’ve always had very high expectations for myself. Higher than what other people expect. And as far as pressure, I think pressure is a privilege.”

Training camp will play a crucial role in getting the offense to gel as a unit – and most importantly, creating that “grit” that Coach Pagano always talks about.