INDIANAPOLIS — What stuck with Chris Ballard, after an hours-long interview with the man who’d soon become his head coach, was the one thing Frank Reich never mentioned. They talked scheme and system and culture – all those football buzzwords coaches and general managers like Ballard like to throw out. What they didn’t talk about, simply because his name was never brought up, was Andrew Luck.

Ballard was stunned. Since the minute he took the job, everyone wanted to know about Andrew Luck. All spring. All summer. All season. Now the guy interviewing for the head-coaching position didn’t?

Reich wasn’t taking the job contingent on the fact that Luck’s surgically-repaired throwing shoulder would heal in time for the season opener, or heal at all. Did he want Luck back? Sure he did. But Reich’s conviction that day, his belief that he could win even if Luck never made it back, was one of the things that separated him from the remaining candidates.

More Colts:5 positions that will make or break the Colts' 2018-19 season

Hard as it's been, Colts sticking to their plan

Nine months later, and 33 years after Bill Polian’s bold proclamation – that his rookie QB with the Buffalo Bills, a kid out of Maryland who’d start just 20 games over a 14-year career, would end up a head coach in this league one day – comes to fruition.

The Frank Reich Era in Indianapolis is set to begin. Polian, the Colts’ Hall of Fame president who built the teams that won 12 games or more for seven successive seasons, will be on hand.

“Kinda like a football father to me,” Reich said of Polian. “Everywhere I been, he’s had a hand in me being there.”

Here, for instance. Back in early February, after Josh McDaniels ditched the Colts at the 11th hour, Polian called his former boss, Jim Irsay, and told him his second coaching search in a month needed just one name: Frank Reich. An interview three days later with Ballard cemented the deal.

Days shy of the season opener, his players openly admit they’ve forgotten Reich is a first-time coach. Problem is: He never acts like it.

“I can’t even tell you that this is Frank’s first time coaching,” said tight end Eric Ebron. “He’s so comfortable. It feels like he’s done this before. There are no rookie mistakes.”

Those inside the building have noticed a dramatic shift in how this team goes about its work. Reich is consumed by details. He detests nonsense. During his first team meeting, back in April, he wasted no time telling the players how things would be done. “It wasn’t a meet and greet, wasn’t like, ‘Hey guys ...” Ebron remembers. “He said, ‘Here’s what I’m looking for. And we’re going to get on this train and we’re going to go.’”

Players say the locker room has a different feel to it – more cohesion. “He’s brought the team together,” said second-year linebacker Anthony Walker. “You can tell. The sense of team is just there, a little bit different from last year.”

Reich will slide into defensive back meetings, mindful it’s not his area of expertise, and drill the cornerbacks on how an opposing quarterback will attack their breakdowns in technique. He leads the offensive meetings, resolute to teach his players the why of his system, not just the how. He’s worked closely with Luck over the past six weeks, building a rapport with the franchise quarterback his tenure here will be so intertwined with.

“Having a head coach call plays is neat,” Luck said, noting the last time this was the case was his rookie year and Bruce Arians was dialing up deep shots. “He is a great communicator. ... He does a great job letting us understand the why. Teaching us why we are running a certain thing. I think when you understand an offense, as a player, you are going to buy in.”

Luck has. During the team’s third preseason game, he started guessing the play call Reich was about to dial up. He was right more often than not.

“It feels good, it feels natural,” Luck said of their blossoming connection.

There is a symmetry in Reich’s coaching journey, one that began after Reich spent eight years in ministry. Polian was his first call. He was willing to scrub toilets, he joked. Instead he ended up coaching Peyton Manning.

They grew a mutual respect, and would text regularly. “Hey, check out the Buffalo game, play No. 40, this is a look we might see,” Manning remembers. “I like that, I like a guy that’s constantly got football on his mind.”

After he left Indy, Reich worked with Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, with Philip Rivers in San Diego and with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles in Philadelphia. Now comes the biggest opportunity of his career: The head-coaching job for a football team with a healthy Andrew Luck at quarterback.

Polian was right about Reich becoming a head coach.

Now it’s time to find out if he’ll become a good one.

Roster turnover continues

Following the cuts to get down to 53 players, the roster churn for the Colts continues.

The Colts signed free agent tight end Ryan Hewitt on Monday and also placed second-round pick defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis on the Injured Reserve list.

Hewitt started in 37 games the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. In that time, he had 22 catches for 220 yards. Last season, Hewitt played in 13 games and had two receptions.

Lewis was selected with the 64th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. At Ohio State, he totaled 36 starts, 112 tackles and 36.5 tackles for loss in his career. Lewis ranks fifth in Buckeye history in career sacks with 23.5 sacks.

The Colts also signed four players to their practice squad including center/guard Jamil Douglas, defensive end Carroll Phillips, linebacker Ahmad Thomas and defensive tackle Jihad Ward.

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.