Indy native JuJu Brents ready to ‘get to work’ at Colts training camp

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Indianapolis Colts rookie cornerback JuJu Brents is soaking up every minute of training camp.

If you were playing for your hometown team, you would likely be doing the same thing.

Brents, a graduate of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, was picked by the Colts in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

The 23-year-old was at a draft party in Westfield at Birdies Miniature Golf Course & Sports Bar when he got the news the Colts had selected him.

Fast-forward just over three months later, and Brents is in Westfield again, this time at Grand Park Sports Campus participating in his first-career NFL training camp.

“Had the opportunity to be in my hometown, share it with my family, all those close ones (friends) here, just right around the corner at Birdies, it was a great feeling,” Brents said. “But that’s behind me now. It’s time to get to work.”

That’s exactly what Brents has been doing. He’s on the field at training camp, adjusting to life as an NFL player.

“Football is football,” Brents said. “I’m just on a different stage now. But just having that same mentality that got me here.”

Brents suited up for the first time this training camp this past Saturday.

He was forced to miss OTAs and minicamp with a wrist injury. He then missed the start of training camp with a hamstring injury.

“I know he’s been grinding to get back out there,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Saturday. “It’s good to see. I’m excited to go watch the film.”

Brents is surely watching a lot of film as well, while, at the same time, gaining as much knowledge as he can from his veteran teammates.

One of the biggest adjustments Brents is having to make is the speed of the game in the NFL vs. the speed of the game at the college level.

“I would say, you’ve got to be a little bit more intentional with presnap awareness, little things you’re seeing like that, which will slow the game down for you,” Brents said.