Posted by Kevin Bowen on September 2, 2013 – 3:12 pm

The ink was ready to be put to paper.

Jack Doyle was minutes away from signing his practice squad papers with the Tennessee Titans before he was informed that a familiar area code wanted him to return home.

It was the Indianapolis Colts, and Doyle was about to be signed to the 53-man roster of his favorite team growing up.

“It was a shock to be coming to your hometown,” Doyle, a product of Cathedral High School, said on Monday. “There’s 31 other teams so it’s crazy how it’s all playing out right now.” “I was really excited, thankful for the opportunity and now just trying to make the most of it.”

Doyle, a 6-6, 258-pound tight end, was a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky University.

The Titans signed Doyle and he flourished during the offseason, punctuated by a five-catch, 42-yard, one-touchdown performance in Tennessee’s preseason finale.

However, a numbers crunch at tight end didn’t allow the Titans to carry four tight ends so it appeared Doyle’s next destination was their practice squad.

Less than 24 hours later Doyle ran out onto the Colts practice field Monday morning donning a jersey that he had worn so many times before.

“You’ve got to come in and work on special teams,” Doyle said of his main focus this week. “I’m going to bust my butt every day and if I do the best I can than I’m going to be alright.”

Doyle, who caught 162 passes for 1,769 yards at WKU, does have some familiarly with Pep Hamilton’s offensive system.

While at WKU, then head coach Willie Taggart ran a similar attack. Taggart had previously coached for three years at Stanford before taking the WKU head coaching position in 2010.

Doyle said there is some carry over from his college offensive system to the Colts scheme.

Chuck Pagano said Doyle fits the mold for what the Colts were looking for as an in-line blocker at the tight end position who can block outside linebackers/defensive ends at the point of attack.

“He’s got that ability and we all know what he did in his collegiate career,” Pagano said of Doyle. “It’s great to have a hometown guy back home. “He gives us another added dimension a big guy that can kind of be the hammer in the run game and still give you some things in the pass game.”

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

Print

Like this: Like Loading...

Tags: chuck pagano Posted in Colts Blog