December 1, 1999
PETERSON QUIETLY MAKING AN IMPACT
By Ryan Robinson

“He can run.  He can run.  I’ll say it again, he can run.”
Colts President Bill Polian describing the play of LB-Mike Peterson following the 1999 NFL Draft.

  Sure, when you think of the Indianapolis Colts 1999 draft class, the first name that pops to mind is running back Edgerrin James.  James, the Colts first-round pick, has made his mark through the first 10 games and garnered his share of national attention.

            But there is another Colts rookie who is quietly making an impact, linebacker Mike Peterson.  The second-round pick is the only rookie starter on the Colts defense and is third on the team with 69 tackles, including two sacks and three quarterback hits.

            Peterson arrived in the NFL with a reputation for speed and a knack for making plays. Colts President Bill Polian knew what Peterson would bring to the Colts defense.  Following the selection of Peterson on the day of the NFL Draft, Polian entered the media room at the Colts complex and told the contingent that the Colts had got a ‘R and H guy.’  Translated, a run and hit guy.

“He can run.  He can run. I’ll say it again, he can run,” Polian said in April.

Peterson, 6-2, 229, hasn’t disappointed.

Don’t be ashamed if you had not heard of Peterson before the draft.  He was overshadowed at Florida by teammate Jevon Kearse, who was the 10^th overall pick in 1999 by the Tennessee Titans.

Polian was watching film of the highly-touted Kearse leading up to the draft and one player kept “popping into the frame and knocking people down.”  It was Peterson.  Peterson was available in the second round after the Colts traded running back Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams for second and fifth round picks. 

Peterson knows James will always be the topic of conversation when they talk about this year’s draft class, but he is determined to make a name for himself.

“I don’t know about the expectations,” Peterson said. “I just know I’ve got some things I need to do around here.  I wasn’t the top pick, the high-profile guys coming in and I’m still not a high-profile guy.  But there are things I can do to help this team and I intend to get them done.  I’m going to give all I got.  My playing style is high-flying and intense, that’s the way I have always played.”

Peterson has come a long way since arriving at the Colts mini-camp in April.  The game was much faster and the schemes were a lot different under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.  It was going to be a learning process.  He knew patience was the key, but he felt awkward not being able to play like he did in college.  He was used to flying around on the field, and using his quickness to make the tackle.  He quickly find out this was a different level.

“It is a whole lot different in the NFL,” Peterson said. “Learning the playbook was the hardest thing.  It’s more complicated than what I had in college.  It took me some time to learn the defense and get back to the way I know how to play.  At first, I was thinking about my every move instead of just acting on instincts.

While the Colts defense was on the field the first three weeks of the regular season, Peterson spent his time watching from the sidelines.  He posted only one tackle in his minimal time in the base defense.  His main contributions were coming on special teams.  He used the time as a learning experience, but it was a frustrating for a player that is used to playing every down.

            “That was probably the hardest thing,” Peterson said. “It affected me and made me a little hungrier to play.  I was trying to learn everything and felt like I was learning.  But once I got out on the field, everything was going a lot faster.  I was frustrated.  I wanted to be on the field.”

            Head coach Jim Mora knew it was only a matter of time before Peterson felt comfortable in the defense.

            “There is a lot of learning involved in that position,”  Mora said.  “I think the mental part overwhelmed him early, and he was not as impressive as we thought, or knew that he would be.”

            He finally got his opportunity in the Colts 34-31 loss to Miami on October 10.  He stepped in and posted a game-high 11 tackles in his first career start.

            “That was definitely rewarding,” Peterson said. “I worked really hard learning the system and it felt good to finally get out there and play a lot.  I just have to keep working hard in practice and good things will happen.”

            He followed up the Miami performance with 10 tackles and two quarterback hits against the Jets in the Meadowlands.  His first career sack came a week later against Cincinnati.

Peterson definitely provides the defense with youth.  Every starter with the exception of Peterson has at least four years of NFL experience.  Veteran linebacker Cornelius Bennett took Peterson under his wing following the draft and has served as his mentor. 

Bennett gives Peterson advice in the lockerroom and on the practice field.   Peterson, who was only 11 years old when Bennett began his NFL career with Buffalo in 1987, soaks in Bennett’s knowledge of the NFL.

“He’s helped me with everything I need,” Peterson said. “Whether it be on the field or off the field, he’s been there for me.  For an old guy, he’s a legend right now so I listen to everything he says.  He’s been doing it for so long.  I guess once you’ve got it, it ain’t gonna leave.

“It definitely helps me that I’ve got a teammate like him.  He’s been out there and done it, the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl.  I’m just trying to get where he’s been.”

Bennett sees a younger version of himself in Peterson.  This is encouraging news for the Colts considering Bennett played in four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons.

“He’s got a good nose for the football,” Bennett said. “That is what it takes to be a good linebacker.  The rest of the tools you can teach him.  He’s a natural linebacker.  It’s hard to find a person who is a good ball hawk, and he is.  He gets to the football and makes things happen.  Eventually, the game is going to be a lot simpler to him.

With the Colts counting on Peterson as a starter, Bennett has been giving him a crash course on preparation in the NFL.  He knows how important Peterson is to the Colts defense as they make their playoff run and he plans on having him as prepared as possible each Sunday.

“I am just trying to teach him the little things that I have learned over my career,” Bennett said. “I try to keep him from making the mental errors.  I stress to him to pay more attention to detail.  Sometimes he gets a little lax because practice gets a little long.  I tell him to keep his head in there and tell him, ‘Come on Mike, keep up with the old man.’”

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio sees a lot of potential in Peterson and knows it’s just a matter of time before the game slows down for him.

“Mike is going to be a good football player,” Fangio said. “He’s got good abilities.  He runs very well.  He’s got good quickness, acceleration and has a good feel for the game.  He still has a lot to learn, but he will be a good football player in this league.”

Peterson has little time for rest on Sunday since he also plays a vital role on the Colts special teams.  He is third on the team with 12 special teams tackles.

Peterson’s teammates have taken notice enthusiasm for the game and the ability to find the ball.

“He’s a much better player than he was in the preseason,” said linebacker Michael Barber.  “He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the defense.  He brings some excitement and youth.  He just has a knack for finding the football.”

            When he’s not attending practice or games, Peterson can usually be seen with his fellow draftee, James.   Peterson and James hit off from the start, not hard to understand, considering their backgrounds.  They both hail from the Sunshine State and winning collegiate programs. The two roomed together for the April mini-camp and rented an apartment during the summer conditioning program.  Both now have their own homes, but still spend a lot of time with each other.

            “Edgerrin and I hang out a lot,” Peterson said. “He is having a great year and doing the things I knew he was capable of doing.  We are going through the same things as far as learning about the NFL.  We talk about football, but also a lot of the off the field stuff.  There’s a lot more free time in the NFL than there was in college. We are used to college where everybody hangs out off the field.”

            Both players will play a key role in the Colts future.  The Colts are off to an 9-2 start, and have everybody talking about the playoffs.  This is no surprise to Peterson.  He is used to winning.  He played in four bowl games and won a national title with Florida in 1996.