The Colts surprised everyone when they chose to not add a defensive

tackle through the draft or free agency. With the departure of veteran Al Woods in free agency https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Jack-Doyle-Jersey , there seems to be a bit of a hole..." Colts AnalysisInterviewsNFL DraftOffseason Interview: Alcorn State Head Coach talks Sterling ShippyNew,5commentsEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Offseason Interview: Alcorn State Head Coach talks Sterling ShippyTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Colts surprised everyone when they chose to not add a defensive tackle through the draft or free agency. With the departure of veteran Al Woods in free agency, there seems to be a bit of a hole there on the defensive line. After not adding a defensive lineman initially as an undrafted free agent either, they elected to sign Alcorn State defensive tackle Sterling Shippy after a rookie minicamp. Shippy is a bit small standing at 6’1” but he makes up for that size deficiency with great athleticism and quickness. As a Senior, Shippy was named Team Captain by his coaches and finished the year with 8 sacks. Outside of that though, there is very little information out there about him. I decided to interview his Head Coach at Alcorn State to find out what kind of person he really is.Fred McNair has been the Head Coach at Alcorn State since 2016 when Shippy was a Sophomore. In my conversation with McNair, we discussed Shippy nearly walking away from the program, what type of leader he is, and why we shouldn’t doubt his ability to make this roster. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qIZYHl">Interview with Coach Fred McNairZH: I read that Shippy left Alcorn State in 2015 after suffering a pretty serious injury. In 2016 when you were named Head Coach, you decided to bring him back to the team. What went into that decision to bring him back to the program?FM: He left with his injury and you know he didn’t come back for whatever reason that I don’t know. Once I got the job in 2016, I was the first person he reached out to and he called me and said “Coach I got my stuff straight and I want to come back” and he got all his paperwork and everything was cleared up. You know I wanted Shippy back because he is a great individual man. Not only a great player but a great individual who works hard, does what he’s told, and I was really excited to get Shippy back. He came in and became a starter for us and played a great role in our defense for us.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="VJnRUU">ZH: Yeah that kind of leads to my next question. He came in after nearly leaving football and became a star for you all. In your opinion, how did he make that transition to star player so quickly?FM: I’ll tell you what, Shippy came in as a possessed person because Shippy wanted to do well on and off the field. In the classroom he’s an outstanding person and on the field the strength and conditioning coaches were so amazed with him that he did everything right. He didn’t take any shortcuts and he wanted to be great and that was the only thing he was concerned about, being the best. The strength and conditioning coach took him under his wings and he did an outstanding job at his Pro Day and that’s just who he is. He wants to be good in everything he does and he’s willing to do the work.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="4e3oAT">ZH: This past season, you all rewarded him with a Team Captaincy. How did he react to that? Did he take on a leadership role with the team?FM: All the guys respected him. The coaches did a great job with him. In terms of leading, he wasn’t a very vocal leader but he led by example. The way he carried himself around campus and the way he carried himself around the field, he’s going to get the job done and people will fall in behind him and that’s the type of leader he was. He was just a “follow me” type and a “I’m going to show you the way” type so that was one of the things we saw in Shippy when deciding to make him a Team Captain. Without words, he’s a leader in flesh and blood. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3H4hi2">ZH: He was an absolute terror on the defensive line for you guys. What made him so dominant on the interior at Alcorn State?FM: Shippy was quick. Quick on the take-off, quick on the snap, quick getting down the line. Shippy did everything right. We always got on him a lot of times because he would get into the backfield so fast that he would need to slow himself down and he’d overpursue the play sometimes. His quickness and his speed, all of those things about Shippy made him stand out and be above the rest. His physical gifts and the way he practiced. He practiced full speed, he played full speed, and that was the way Shippy was.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="F9Rk0t">ZH: The Colts ask their defensive tackles to do a lot of one gapping and penetrating quickly up field. Do you think that is a role that Shippy will excel in?FM: No doubt, no doubt. One gapping is something Shippy would be really good at. His quickness and his ability at the point of attack because he is a strong kid. He’s been in the weight room putting them back so his quickness and his strength, I think that would be a great fit for him. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="kgYmpP">ZH: He wasn’t drafted in this past draft class and wasn’t even a priority undrafted free agent. Do you think the NFL overlooked him in this past class?FM: When you look at it, I think all Shippy wanted was an opportunity to be in the NFL and I think he got that with the Colts when he got the opportunity to come in and work out to make the team. What he wanted, he got. He got his opportunity to put on a showcase for them and that’s what he wanted more than anything. A lot of times, HBCU’s (historically black colleges and universities) get overlooked so he’s just got to take advantage of this opportunity and make the best of it and I think he will.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="laIdZU">ZH: What was one thing that stands out about Shippy’s character that makes him different than most players you’ve coached in your career?FM: His mannerisms and the way he carried himself, he always wants to be great. He is a very spoken guy and he wants to do everything the right way. He has a good characteristic of himself and the thing he does and it’s hard to say bad things about him. One thing that just stood out was the way he carried himself, his mannerisms, and how he views himself as a person.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="bBdQhk">ZH: Final question. What would you say to anyone doubting Shippy’s chances of making this roster?FM: I would just say that Shippy is determined to make the roster. That is one thing with him, when he has his mind set on something, his determination is one of his biggest assets. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make the roster. I would just say keep your eyes on Shippy this offseason. We take a look at how our divisional opponents drafted" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕2019 NFL Draft Roundup: Around the AFC SouthNew,17commentsWe take a look at how our divisional opponents draftedEDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Draft Roundup: Around the AFC SouthPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesWith the 2019 NFL Draft in the books, it makes sense to take a look around the AFC South and see how the Colts’ divisional foes attacked their needs and the kinds of players they were able to land. I used our draft guide’s (did you know we had one of those?) team needs as well as our player evaluations in my analysis, because assigning draft grades at this point doesn’t mean all that much.Without further ado, here is a look at how the division drafted:TexansNeeds: OT, iOL, CB, RB Adam Vinatieri Jersey , TEPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesRound 1 - Pick 23: Tytus Howard Offensive Tackle, Alabama StateRound 2 - Pick 54: Lonnie Johnson Jr., Cornerback, KentuckyRound 2 - Pick 55: Max Scharping, Offensive Tackle, Northern IllinoisRound 3 - Pick 86: Kahale Warring, Tight End, San Diego StateRound 5 - Pick 161: Charles Omenihu, Defensive End, TexasRound 6 - Pick 195: Xavier Crawford, Defensive Back, Central MichiganRound 7 - Pick 220: Cullen Gillaspia, Fullback, Texas A&MThe Texans desperately needed help along their offensive line heading into this draft. They have been unable to protect Deshaun Watson, and Colts fans know better than most how big a problem that can become if you keep rolling the dice and getting your quarterback hit. They attempted to address that by taking Tytus Howard with their first round pick and later selecting Max Scharping in the 2nd. These guys are nearly polar opposites, with Howard being a high upside raw athlete and Scharping being a high effort guy with athletic limitations. The consensus is mostly that they reached for Howard with better options on the board, but if they manage to develop him he could be a very good addition to a line that desperately needs it.They also took two defensive backs in this draft, Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Xavier Crawford. Johnson is a zone cover corner who possesses the athletic ability and size to be a quality part of the Texans defense. He struggles in press and can get turned around by proficient route runners, but he has the raw ability to be molded and grown as a player. Crawford is a small but quick corner who will give solid depth at the position but whose size may be an issue. Rounds 3 and 5 saw them take tight end Kahale Warring and defensive end Charles Omenihu. Personally, I really like Kahale Warring, but he seems like an odd pick for this team in particular. For one, he is a very raw player, with a limited football background. It seems as though a team with as much talent as they have would be looking for guys who can be difference makers right away, and Warring likely is not that. Omenihu is another interesting prospect. He is best suited to the interior defensive line as a 3-tech, and if that is where the Texans use him, he could be very successful as a disruptive force that takes advantage of the fact that offenses will have to deal with J.J. Watt and Clowney (maybe?) on the outside. They drafted fullback Cullen Gillaspia with pick 220, but that hardly addresses their need for talent at the running back position. Over all, this team needed to really knock this draft out of the park to stay on pace with the division, and I’m just not sure they did that. TitansNeeds: Edge, TE, iDL, WR Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesRound 1 – Pick 19: DI Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi StateRound 2 – Pick 51: WR AJ Brown, Ole MissRound 3 – Pick 82: G Nate Davis, CharlotteRound 4 – Pick 116: S Amani Hooker, IowaRound 5 – Pick 168: Edge D’Andre Walker, GeorgiaRound 6 – Pick 188: LB David Long Jr., West VirginiaThe Titans seem like a team poised to take a big step forward in 2019. They have made a lot of solid moves this offseason, and this draft fits right in with that trend. With their first pick, they took defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. That pick could of course, blow up in their face, because his injury makes him a bit of an unknown Marvin Harrison Color Rush Jersey , but I liked the pick. This is a player who would have been a top ten pick if not for his torn ACL in February. The Titans got him at 19, and I think they’ll be glad they did come 2020.At pick 51 the Titans grabbed wide receiver A.J. Brown to provide a well-rounded weapon in the passing game. Brown is a solid route runner with good hands and quickness to make plays after the catch. He has the kind of consistency that translates well to the next level and should be able to make an immediate impact in a receiver room that was already greatly improved with the addition of Adam Humphries.The selection of Nate Davis in the 3rd might have been a bit of a reach, but he will make for a good developmental player who will benefit from the strength and conditioning an NFL team can provide. If he can refine his technique and improve his strength he could be a solid get for the Titans and help bolster their offensive line. At pick 116, the Titans grabbed Amani Hooker to add to their already fairly talented defensive backs group. Hooker is a smart and versatile safety who could contribute as a nickel right away and grow into a role beyond that point. He has the kind of balls skills and instincts that will make him a great addition to the defense.Linebackers D’Andre Walker and David Long both look like good gets for the Titans as well, Walker more suited to a OLB/DE role and Long as a stubborn undersized cover linebacker. Time will tell how this draft has improved this team, but they addressed several areas of concern and seem far better as a team than they were. The question remains as to what this team can expect to accomplish with Marcus Mariota under center. JaguarsNeeds: OT, iOL, TE, RB, WRPhoto by Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesRound 1 – Pick 7: Edge Josh Allen, KentuckyRound 2 – Pick 35: OT Jawaan Taylor, FloridaRound 3 – Pick 69: TE Josh Oliver, San Jose StateRound 3 – Pick 98: LB Quincy Williams, Murray StateRound 5 – Pick 140: RB Ryquell Armstead, TempleRound 6 – Pick 178: QB Gardner Minshew, Washington StateRound 7 – Pick 235: DT Dontavius Russell, AuburnThe Jaguars are an odd case. They are a better team than they were in 2018, but probably not as good as they were in 2017. This draft was a bit of a mixed bag, but honestly I’m not sure they needed a home run to be a much better team than they were last year.The selection of Josh Allen should immediately make this front seven the most horrifying group to face in the NFL. Seriously, good luck finding a defensive weakness. I am glad that is Frank Reich’s job, not mine, because it makes me a bit nauseous thinking about it. Jawaan Taylor was graded out as a first round talent at tackle and should be a very good addition to Jacksonville’s offensive line. Conditioning could be a concern with him, but if the Jaguars keep him in shape, they just got a lot better along their offensive line. While I really liked those first two picks, I am not a big fan of their selection of Josh Oliver. They opted to forego several better options like Jace Sternberger, Kahale Warring, and Dawson Knox, in favor of Oliver. Oliver has the potential to be a very good move tight end, but he is nowhere near ready to be a starting quality tight end, and Nick Foles really could have benefitted from having a player like Sternberger as a security blanket on an offense that is relatively toothless.The Jags then reached for linebacker Quincy Williams, brother of Quinnen Williams. Given the depth of that position group, bringing in a possible developmental player is not a huge deal, and this team has proven to be good at developing defensive talent, so while this probably was rich for him, who am I to question it?While this wasn’t necessarily a perfect draft, the Jaguars got better in several places. I still think they will struggle mightily to do much of anything on offense, given that they haven’t provided Nick Foles with much of anything in terms of offensive weapons. However, with a defense as good as theirs, they probably won’t have to do all that much anyway.