Indianapolis Colts’ Xavien Howard Ready for Debut Against Former Team, Miami Dolphins

Indianapolis Colts’ Xavien Howard Ready for Debut Against Former Team, Miami Dolphins

Like you what two weeks now? Are you starting to feel like yourself? You feel good. Shame. But how do you know you know that you’re ready? Until we get out there. No. No. But I’ve been practicing and put in overtime. Mhm. You know, I have to practice and stuff like that. So like I’m ready to go out there and coach compete. Is this scheme very familiar for you or somewhat familiar? Um I would say I’ve been over there before though, but I’m sure it’s a different scheme or you know some stuff they probably stick to, but I’m sure going to be some curves in there. And like it’s a lot is a lot different like terminology in those things. You have to learn that. Yeah. Being here at this at this game. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It’s really just terminology. I feel like u I’ve been in the system. I played every coverage everything. So, you know, from man to zone, whatever the coach wants. So, um it’s really just terminology. Once you get that on pack, I feel like football is football. And Lou is is a big fan of yours. Oh, yeah. He’s my guy. So, tell me about that relationship between you and him and and why there’s so much trust there. Um, so me and Lou, um, like I said, my first year at the Dolphins, um, you know, he he he was on my butt every day. Every day. And I’m like, man, why this dude don’t like me or something? And after my second year, bro, we just been tight ever since then. And, um, he ended up departing, going to, I think, the Giants or something like that. We still stay in contact cuz, um, that was a guy like my first year, just really teaching me the game, coming from the Big 12, and really just getting my game up the point where I need to be. And he stayed with me through it all after practice whenever I need him. He was right there. Why uh why number four? Um back to high school. I say high school and college I was number four. So um that was my number. I feel like I want you know I feel like it’s a new journey here for me. So I want to get a fresh start. Talking for you and priest at all this week. No I never really been a talker. So you know I just go out there and play ball and compete. What about they got some talent on obviously you know those guys very well. What is that challenge? Um it’s a challenge man. That’s the NFL for you man. Each week you got a guy over there, a couple guys over there that can play good ball and uh that’s the reason we at the NFL at the top of the top. So, you know, we got to compete. Do you remember like the first time they use that like cheap motion in practice practice with Tyreek? Like Yeah. I always say I I hate being on the other side of the ball, but now I’m on the other side of the ball. So now I got to do what I can do with it. What like how does that or I guess why is that so effective? Um, I feel like it’s effective because it keep guys off guys can’t press them and um, when you go in motion, man. I feel like as a quarterback, you got to line up and, you know, get your keys down pack and it don’t give you time to do that. Like, you got to go play right now. He already in and out of his break or, you know, ready to go. How important is tackling against this team where they’re going to get the ball into the hands of Oh, tackling, man. Oh, yeah. We got to, you know, he’s living to the ball. So, you know, everybody got to fly to the ball and that’s a part of football each week, man. Tackling is the big name. What is it about that offense where it it or about Tua where the offense looks so much different with him versus without it? Um man, I feel like that’s a system for that guy, you know, like the stat shows what he can do in the offense when he healthy. So, he he played good ball, great ball. How would you describe your conditioning level the last couple weeks? I’ve been getting it in, man. Like I told him, um after practice, um I was running, getting conditioning and always putting extra work in to get me to the point where I can go out there and compete and bring be out there 100%. How important can a successful week one be? And it’s just week one, but you want to build on something. Yeah, it’s it’s week one, man. We got to go out there and show what type of football. It’s a program, what we want to do over here. So, um, week one is is a big opportunity for everybody to go out there and put stuff on film what they want on film. So, are you ready and expecting a full like 60 plus snaps on on Sunday? When the coaches call me, I’m out there. I’m ready. Yeah.

Indianapolis Colts CB Xavien Howard looks ahead to Sunday’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins, his former team. (video via Jake Arthur)

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