Reggie Wayne moved from split end to flanker for Thursday night's game against the Jaguars.
Playing on the right side of the formation, Wayne is right-handed Peyton Manning's first read. He caught seven balls for 108 yards and a touchdown in the win. It's unclear when Marvin Harrison (hamstring) will return, but Wayne could finish out the season at Harrison's usual position. It's also very possible that Wayne will also stay there in 2009 if Harrison is cut.

(rotoworld.com)

7 proCanes will be heading to Hawaii in February for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl. They are: Clinton Portis, Jon Beason, Jeff Feagles, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed.

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne, the Colts’ first-round selection in the 2001 NFL Draft, long has been one of the NFL’s top players at his position, having played in the last two Pro Bowls and having made the game as a starter last season. An eight-year veteran from the University of Miami, he has had 1,000 yards receiving each of the last four seasons, and has set career-highs in receptions in each of his first seven seasons, helping the Colts to six consecutive playoff appearances, the last five AFC South titles, and a Super Bowl victory following the 2006 season. Wayne, who played collegiately at the University of Miami, not only is one of the Colts’ top players, he has developed in recent seasons into one of the Colts’ most popular players as well as one of their most durable. He has not missed a game since 2001, his rookie season, and until this season he had not missed a practice since that season. This season, he is again among the NFL leaders with 62 receptions for 870 yards and five touchdowns through 12 games. Wayne this week sat down and spoke with Colts.com about several topics, including his relationship with the fans, his durability and what the Colts have meant to his career.

Question: One thing that’s very noticeable to anyone who follows the team is you have developed a very close relationship with the fans over the years. How much has that come to mean to you?
Answer: It means a lot. We come here to play a game and that’s our job. That’s what we’re getting paid to do. But we’re also out there to put on a good show for the fans. Me personally, I feel like the fans are underrated. They’re out there screaming at the top of their lungs. They’re making it hard for the opposing teams to make their calls. That helps us. That’s kind of my way of thanking them, kind of getting them involved and letting them know I appreciate them.

Q: Have you seen that grow over the years? It seems it has . . .
A: It’s getting bigger. When I got here, it was already there with the Reggie Miller stuff, so it was already here as far as the first name, but it definitely has grown because now I get the Reggie chants at the away games, so that’s pretty cool. But once again, that’s just my way of showing my gratitude and appreciating it.

Q: You make it a point to go over to the corner when you score, or even before the games. It’s not something you take for granted. Some guys might give what you just said lip service, but it’s important to you . . .
A: There’s the one particular corner – whenever we run from the tunnel, everyone runs to the corner where our sideline is. The other corners, it seems like they’re always forgotten. I just go over there to get them involved and let them know, ‘Hey, you’re not forgotten. We’ve still got love for you over there, too.’ All of a sudden it has grown to whenever I’m out in the city or whatever, people will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’m so and so and I’m in your corner. I’m in Reggie’s corner.’ It’s grown to be my corner, so I definitely have to go over there.

Q: You haven’t missed a game since – knock on wood – 2001, your rookie season. You’ve played in more consecutive games than any Colts player except quarterback Peyton Manning. How much pride do you take in that aspect of your game?
A: Knock on wood. That’s right. It crushed me this year just to miss my first practice. It really wasn’t brought to my attention, but then I went home and thought about and was like, ‘Man, that was my first practice I missed since my rookie year’ – seven years. I feel like practice is the hard part. If you’re able to go out there and practice every day and conquer that, Sundays – that’s the easy part, you know? Yeah, you’re out there and it’s tackle and it’s live, but Sundays are always the fun time. I feel if I’m not out there practicing, then I can’t do what I want to do in the game. I feel like I’m going to miss something. So, the time I did miss that first practice, I had people like (middle linebacker) Gary Brackett and a couple of other guys – it seemed like I had some extra energy, so they were telling me to relax. They were saying, ‘Be cool, man. It’s going to be all right. We need you out there on Sundays.’ I just feel like all the hard work is done through the week. All the preparation, that’s when everything is in the mixture. I love to practice. That’s when I feel like I get better. That comes with my work ethic and things of that nature. I just like to go out and help my teammates get good looks. I try to emulate the game in practice and I go out there and feel like, ‘OK, this is what I’m going to do,’ so if you don’t practice doing that, you have a visual, but you don’t have a set where you’ve actually done it. You don’t know how it’s going to look or how it’s going to work or whatever the case may be. So, I love practice.

Q: In that sense, how would you define this season? Because it has been a tougher season than you’re used to in terms of having to gut some things out . . .
A: It has been. If you look at it numbers-wise, everybody on this team’s numbers are down, but in a way, it is good. We have had to tough some things out and that shows the character of this team. You’re going to need those games to try to move on and try to conquer that goal and that’s to win the Super Bowl. If you think about it, if you think back to our Super Bowl year (in 2006), when we won, the whole time through the playoffs, there was nobody worried about numbers. Everybody was worried about doing their job, helping your buddy, doing whatever it takes. I wasn’t worried about balls. (Wide receiver) Marvin (Harrison) wasn’t worried about balls. (Tight end) Dallas (Clark) wasn’t worried about balls. There was nobody worried about anything. We just wanted to get our job done. I feel like that’s what we need to do now. We’re not where we normally would be, which is in first place in our division, so we don’t have room for error. Now, we have to get what we can. Whenever the opportunity comes, we have to conquer that moment. I think with these close games it’s going to push us and let us know what we’re capable of doing in tight situations, so in the long run, I think it will help us out.

Q: You’ve talked a lot over the years about how you’ve always improved that number. You’ve always gotten at least one more catch each season. That will be a tough thing to do this year, but you seem OK with that . . .
A: I am. I am. Going into the season, I knew with a healthy Marvin and a healthy Dallas and everybody in the equation healthy, those numbers were going to be tough. That’s fine. You have goals set, but for you to have a successful season doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have to conquer all of your goals. It’s strange, because normally I’m sitting pretty and everything, but who cares?

Q: Final question. You’re in your eighth season and obviously firmly established as not only one of the NFL’s top receivers, but as a core player on one of the most successful teams of this era. You’re forever linked with this franchise. Do you ever imagine what your career would have been like with another team? It’s been a very, very good fit for you here . . .
A: It’s kind of hard to picture that. I really don’t see myself anywhere else. Even when it was time for my contract – and you always kind of sit back at that time and you’re thinking, ‘Man, what if they don’t want me. Where do I see myself?’ I can’t see myself anywhere else. This is where I started. This is where I want to finish. You see people go out there, and they go to different teams, and it may be for different issues – money, or whatever the case may be. But the grass is not always greener. I can’t see that. Every time you see me and you think of football and the National Football League, I see me in blue and white. I see me as a Colt. I can’t picture me anywhere else.

(colts.com)

WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Reggie Wayne is so smooth, he appears to defy the laws of physics in a new TV commercial set to air Thanksgiving Day on the NFL Network.

The two-time Pro Bowl receiver for the Indianapolis Colts jogged over an in-ground pool on Tuesday in a promotion for the new Reebok Hex Ride running shoes. OK, so the surface was actually blue-painted wood built into the pool. Water will be added later as a special effect, but Wayne was pumped by the pitch premise.

"Not many people can say they walked on water. To be one of the selective few is always a great thing," he said. "But I don't think it's going to take much for me because I feel like I walk on water every day."

Not that this was any day at the beach. Temperatures for this back-yard production at a suburban residence were in the mid-30s. In between takes, Wayne wrapped himself in a Colts blanket.

Wayne's on-screen counterpart was New York actor Stephen Mailer, who plays a nerdy Reebok scientist, complete with the thick glasses, tape recorder and clipboard. The real-life New York Jets fan appears to test how Wayne does in the new running shoes.

Assistant Brian Banks stood in for Wayne on a rehearsal. Banks ran through some tires, then stepped through some spots on the pool. He was perfect.

"If you need a third down receiver, there he is," said director Ron Yassen.

"We need a first-down receiver," joked Wayne, the Colts' leading receiver this season with 56 catches for 790 yards.

When assistant director Rob Mackler hollered, "Action!" for the first real run, Wayne stumbled.

Mackler didn't need to yell "Cut!" because Wayne had already asked for a do-over. Members of New York's Roadside Entertainment crew exhaled in cold puffs of air, then focused again. And they weren't the only ones watching intently.

John and Jackie Lindgren's Westfield home had a deck filled with family and friends. Others watched from inside. Lindgren's pool was selected at random by Pools of Fun in Plainfield. The film crew basically set up in the home's basement activity room.

"The kids are so excited," John Lindgren said of their three children. "They've been telling all their buddies that Reggie was going to be in their back yard."

Mitch Lindgren, 12, couldn't get his buddies to believe it. He snapped pictures for proof.

"I told (school) I had a doctor's appointment," said Meghan, 14, a Carmel High School freshman. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

After three takes, Wayne was hitting his stride, but his baggy black shorts weren't cooperating.

"My trousers keep falling," he said, walking off the set to get a clothes pin alteration.

"Wardrobe malfunction," a witty crew member said.

After the fourth take, Wayne assured, "I'm getting better at it."

After seven takes, it was time for close-up shots. The shoot ran long, but Wayne stuck around.

"Reggie was stupendous," Yassen said. "He was a pleasure to work with. Some athletes, they can be tricky, but he did everything we asked. He's an All-Pro."

Wayne has filmed commercials before, but conceded he has a ways to go to catch up with the NFL leader in endorsements, the same guy responsible for getting the receiver the ball on game days.

"I ain't on Peyton Manning's status," Wayne said of his quarterback, who earned a reported $13 million in endorsements in 2007. "I guess you could say I'm building a foundation."

(indystar.com)

Reggie Wayne and Peta Gay Weir bought a home at 16850 Stratford Court in Southwest Ranches from Landmark Custom Ranches, Inc. for $4.1 million on July 25, 2007.

The house stands on a sprawling 102,294 square foot lot in the Landmark Ranch Estates.

Wayne is a receiver for the Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. In 2007, the two-time Pro Bowl selection led the Colts and the league in receiving yardage with 1,510 yards. He also set a career high for receptions (104).

After starting for four years at the University of Miami, the Colts made him the 30th pick of the 2001 NFL Draft. After a solid 2005 season, Indianapolis signed him to a six-year contract worth $39.5 million. He followed that up with a 2006 campaign in which he caught 86 passes for 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns.

Through 2007, Wayne has a career total of 494 receptions, 6,984 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns.

He attended John Ehret High School in Marrero, La.

Home sales in Southwest Ranches dropped 39 percent in 2007 versus sales in 2006. The median sales price though went up from $850,000 to $900,000.

BlockShopper Metrics began tracking home sales in South Florida in 2001.

(southflorida.blockshopper.com)

PITTSBURGH -- Reggie Wayne was good Sunday at Heinz Field. He had six receptions, 114 yards and one touchdown in the Indianapolis Colts' 24-20 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He also was lucky.

On his 65-yard touchdown, Wayne adjusted when Peyton Manning's pass along the left sideline was underthrown and went through the hands of Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Wayne secured the deflection, spun away from safety Ryan Clark and sprinted to the end zone for the longest play allowed by Pittsburgh this season.

Wayne snatched another pass deflected by Taylor in the third quarter, that time gaining 16 yards.

"Those count, too, you know what I mean?'' Wayne said after posting his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and 25th of his career. "It's not giving up on a play and trying to be the man to make the play."

So, it's better to be lucky than good?

"I'd rather be both,'' Wayne said.

Tipped passes, according to Manning, are "cyclical.''

"They've been going the other way,'' he said, "so it was nice to have a couple of them bounce our way.''

(indystar.com)

Monday night's match-up between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans is more than just an intense division rival. It's a must win game for Indy in order to keep pace within the AFC South division and their playoff picture in clear sight.

The Colts come into the game looking to rebound from the shellacking they took in Week 7 against Green Bay, losing to the Packers 34-14. Quarterback Peyton Manning had perhaps one of the worst games of his illustrious career with two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. Along with Manning struggling, the guy who seems to fuel the offense was a non-factor. That being wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

Wayne had two receptions for 24-yards in a losing effort and there needs to be a drastic change Monday night if the Colts are to have any chance of defeating the undefeated Titans.

Wayne is an integral part of the team's offense and must get more involved in the team's passing game early and often. This will be no easy task considering the Titans defense is ranked third overall.

That being said, the ranking could be a little misleading due to the fact that the Titans have yet to face a team with a balanced offense attack such as the Colts, especially when the team is on. Knowing that, you can expect the Colts offense to utilize Wayne's versatility to exploit the situation.

"He [Wayne] has the speed and the quickness to play in the slot and go across the middle," Manning said. "He's strong and physical and has zero fear as a receiver. Of course, he has the speed to get by guys on the outside and can get off versus bump-and-run coverage. It's just a credit to him being able to play both inside and outside."

The Colts like to rotate Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez, not to create match up problems in coverage, but to find ways to get the ball in the hands of their playmaking receiver Wayne.

"We just try to put him in good spots to try to get him the ball. That's the main reason, the quarterback said."

According to Manning, Gonzalez has been outside and Wayne inside pretty much the majority of the season.

Wayne is having a solid season thus far with 35 receptions for 492 yards and four touchdowns, but will need to have a Mr. October performance Monday night. Wayne has been held without a touchdown in the team's last three meetings. His effectiveness could determine the Colts outcome.

(middletownjournal.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - Enough people have gushed about Reggie Wayne's game-winning catch against the Houston Texans, he's willing to rank it No.1 in his career.

It'd be hard to find a more important one. If Wayne didn't catch it, the Colts would be 1-3 today and gasping for air in the AFC South race. At 2-2, they still have a climb to catch 5-0 Tennessee.

“That (catch) was just me working,” Wayne said Wednesday at the Colts practice complex. “My number was called and I had to try to find a way to make something happen. We made a nice little surge, so why not be the guy that gets the winning touchdown?”

Wayne's catch - a falling one-hander that required an officials' review - gave the Colts a 31-27 win over the Texans and completed a climb back from a 17-point deficit.

The Colts will try to build on that momentum when they play the Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Much has been made about the timing of the Colts' passing game, and the fact it hasn't looked as consistently sharp as usual. Part of that can be attributed to the high standards set by quarterback Peyton Manning and friends, and the fact Manning missed training camp.

But, with the game in the balance, Manning put the game-winning pass where only Wayne could reach it, and Wayne pulled out a catch that shows why he's a Pro Bowl receiver and in the argument for best receiver in the NFL.

Wayne was asked if he ranked his best catches and where Sunday's fell in the ranking.

“The way everybody's talking about it, it's kind of hard not to put it at the top,” Wayne said. “I do have some catches in my career that a lot of y'all haven't seen. I made some good catches in high school, but the way everybody's talking about it, it's pushing toward the top.”

Wayne sold the catch with his body language afterward as the official signaled touchdown, but he says he wasn't quite as sure as it looked.

“I was a little shaky, a little bit,” he said. “I knew I had the ball, but I wasn't sure about my feet. At the same time, it's never good to leave it in the referees' hands. I was praying like everybody else. Then, once I saw the replay, I knew it was good.”

Wayne said Colts receivers practice one-handed catches near the sideline or in the end zone every day in practice.

Colts coach Tony Dungy knew the catch looked familiar.

“I hate to say ‘routine,' but it's what we see a lot in practice,” Dungy said. “Our guys do that. They have very, very good concentration. Catching the ball, getting it secured with one hand and getting his feet down - it was a very, very athletic play, but it's one we see a lot.”

Reggie Wayne had seven receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' Week 5 victory.
Wayne made one of the best, and most important catches of the year when he snagged a Peyton Manning fade with one hand in the corner of the end zone. Manning found him a few more times with some on-the-money throws and should look his way a ton next week against the Ravens.

(rotoworld.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — Poor, poor Blue.

He's the Indianapolis Colts' team mascot, and by necessity has something of a horse face, because, well, he represents a horse.

But that's not the reason why Blue's feelings possibly have been hurt by none other than Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who proudly has four little stuffed animals on the top shelf of his locker stall for all to see.

They're not cute little colts. They're cute little kittens, and they go by the name of Sir Purr, who happens to be the mascot of the … Carolina Panthers.

"I have some friends from my hometown (of New Orleans) who gave them to me as a joke," Wayne says with a chuckle. "They live (in the Charlotte area) now and were telling me it was Carolina's year this year, and they sent them to me after the Carolina preseason game this year."

The Panthers prevailed 23-20. So why not just chuckle and then throw away the Sir Purrs?

"Because I use them as a reminder to myself that it's NOT their year, it's going to be OUR year," Wayne says. "Really, though, they give me a reminder that everybody in this league is working toward the same goal, and you can never, ever lose sight of that."

Wayne has quite been adept at not losing sight of goals since joining the Colts as a rookie out of Miami in 2001. His goal simply was to get better every season. And for the most part, he has done just that.

Consider the progression of his season-long receiving yardage through the years. Only once has he not improved.

There were the 345 yards as a rookie. Then 716 in '02, then 838 in '03, then 1,210 in '04, then 1,055 in '05, then 1,310 in '06 and finally an NFL-best 1,510 last season to go with a career-high 104 catches.

Not only that, but he's just the third player in league history to have increased his number of receptions in each of the first seven seasons of his career.

Says Colts coach Tony Dungy: "You see what happens with guys like Reggie Wayne that get better and better and better as they learn the system."

To a wide receiver counterpart for the Detroit Lions, Wayne's work is pretty darned impressive.

"Reggie Wayne, man, he's really come into his own," the Lions' Roy Williams says. "You've got to admire the way he got it done after Marvin (Harrison) went out last season."

Injuries forced Harrison, an eight-time Pro Bowler, to miss 11 games in '07. Wayne says he knew many observers had long tabbed his improvement simply a by-product of getting mostly single coverage as opposed to Harrison's double dose, and was pleased he was able to show otherwise last season.

Now that Harrison has returned, Wayne has a goal. He wants to do for Harrison what Harrison has done for him.

"I feel like my duty is to get that double coverage off of him, and whenever he gets doubled, I feel a responsibility to make the most of it," Wayne says. "If I do that, maybe he'll get the kind of chances that I've had for so long."

(usatoday.com)

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne continued to have an impressive camp, catching a series of short passes from quarterback Jim Sorgi in the morning practice.




(colts.com)

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The whispers finally should have been silenced last year.

In his mind, Reggie Wayne used the 2007 season to quiet any skeptics who thought his emergence in the Indianapolis Colts offense was due in large part because he was Marvin Harrison's sidekick.

Last season, Harrison, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a future Hall of Famer, was not around for 11 games. Wayne was, and generated a career-best 104 receptions for a league-high 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"That was an opportunity for me to shut everybody the hell up because there was still people out there saying I'm in Marv's shadow and I'm just doing all this because of Marv," Wayne said Tuesday as he relaxed in a golf cart during a break in training camp at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. "That was my opportunity to slap them in the face.

"I still hear it. And that's cool because that motivates me. I'm driven to prove everybody wrong."

Year after year.

First it was the University of Florida, where his speed and potential as a deep threat were questioned despite a stellar prep career at New Orleans' John Ehret High School. Spurned by the Gators, he became a record-setter at Miami.

Then local fans wondered why the Colts would take another receiver in the first round of the 2001 draft when the team's defense needed help.

"I'm driven to prove everybody wrong," Wayne said. "It's personal."

Even after he made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2006, many stuck to the notion he owed much of his success to Harrison's magnetic on-field presence that routinely drew extra defensive coverage.

"Hey, I'll take that," Wayne said. "I'm glad I've got a Hall of Famer on the other side. Helps me out."

But when Harrison suffered a left knee injury against Denver in last season's fourth game, the focus immediately shifted squarely to Wayne.

He embraced the challenge.

"I wanted to prove to everybody last year that I can be a top dog in this league," Wayne said.

The result was one of the best single seasons by a receiver in club history, arguably one that rivaled Harrison's league-record 143-catch output in 2002. That year, Harrison averaged 12 yards per catch and ranked second in the league with 14 receptions for at least 25 yards. Last season, Wayne averaged 14.5 yards per catch and led the league with 16 catches of at least 25 yards.

Coach Tony Dungy said the Colts have had "two No. 1 receivers" the past four or five seasons. His appreciation of Wayne is rooted in year-after-year progress and consistency. Wayne has been a 16-game starter each of the past five seasons and can become the first player in NFL history to increase his receptions total in eight straight seasons.

"He is one of those guys you don't worry about," Dungy said. "You kind of pencil in 85 to 90 catches and 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. That's what we expect and that's what he's delivered."

For much of '07, Wayne delivered without Harrison, or any other established receiver support. When the Colts dropped a 23-21 decision at San Diego, Wayne had 10 receptions for 140 yards. Harrison was injured. So were tight end Dallas Clark and rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez. Wayne's supporting cast included tight end Bryan Fletcher and receivers Craphonso Thorpe and Aaron Moorehead. None currently is on an active roster.

"It's a little like a guy that hit 25 home runs for five years and drove in 95 runs," team president Bill Polian said, "and then all of a sudden the guy that hits in front of him isn't there and he hits 40 home runs and drives in 125 runs.

"Is he any different (a) player? Not really. He's just getting more opportunity."

So, has Wayne not only silenced a group he sarcastically labels "my doubters," but also supplanted Harrison as the Colts' No. 1 receiver?
Wayne smiled, and laughed.

"I don't buy into that. Marv's still O.G. (Original Gangster), man. Marv's still the Don. Marv's a Hall of Famer. Check his stats. He's been there and done that. I'm trying to get where he's at."

(indystar.com)

Two-Time Pro Bowl Receiver Wayne Focused Again on Improving
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – This time, Reggie Wayne opted not to change a thing.

Wayne, the Colts’ eight-year veteran wide receiver, has improved statistically in each of his seven NFL seasons, and has done so with what he considers a simple – although not easy – formula.

Each offseason, he has worked harder than the last.

Sometimes, he said, that has meant altering his offseason workout schedule, starting earlier than the year before, or working longer. This past February, in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, he joked that perhaps the only way to improve on his first 100-plus reception season was awaken for offseason workouts a half hour earlier than normal.

Wayne reconsidered. With reason.

The past few off-seasons, Wayne has arisen at 5 a.m. for his workouts.

The idea of waking at 4:30 seemed a tad unnecessary, he said.

“I kind of stayed to the same regimen,” Wayne said this week during the first week of Colts 2008 Training Camp, which will continue through August 15 at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

“They say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I did the same thing, just did it harder. You just find ways to make it even more challenging for myself.
Wayne added with a smile, “It’s already a challenge getting up at five in the morning. That’s a start.”

As far as Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy sees it, Wayne needn’t change a thing.

Since Dungy’s arrival in 2002, Wayne never has missed a game, and has improved steadily each season, emerging as one of the NFL’s elite receivers.

“Probably the biggest thing about Reggie, the biggest compliment, is he is one of those guys you don’t worry about,” Dungy said. ‘You kind of pencil in 85-to-90 catches, 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns and you don’t even really think about it. Then you think about those numbers and realize that’s a lot to take for granted, but that’s what we expect and that’s what he has delivered.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we don’t even think about it too much.”

Whether or not Wayne has been taken for granted at times, what he also has been throughout his career his productive in strikingly steady and improving fashion.

Each season he has been in the NFL, Wayne – the Colts’ first-round selection in the 2001 NFL Draft – has set a goal to catch at least one more pass than he did the previous season.

So far, he has attained that goal.

After catching 27 passes in his rookie season, he caught 49 passes for 716 yards and four touchdowns in 2002. He followed that with 68 receptions for 838 yards and seven touchdowns in 2003 before recording his first 1,000-yard season in 2004, when he caught 77 passes for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In 2005, he caught 83 passes for 1,055 yards and five touchdowns, then set career-highs in receptions and yards in 2006 with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns.

This past season, he surpassed his previous career-high by 18 receptions, catching 104 passes for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns despite the absence of eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

“It’s the same,” Wayne said. “I’m still on the same track that I’m normally on. I try to get better each year. Now, it’s made everything harder. I’ve got to have a whole total different mind frame of going out there grinding, trying to get it and beat the numbers I had the previous year.

“One more doesn’t sound like much, but when you line up out there between the sidelines, it’s a lot harder than you think. One more can be the difference between the Super Bowl and an AFC Championship loss. It’s going to be a challenge, but if – knock on wood – I just keep healthy and playing football, I should be all right.”

Remaining healthy hasn’t been a huge issue for Wayne in his first seven NFL seasons. He hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season, 2001, and he is the only Colts player aside from quarterback Peyton Manning to start every game the last five seasons.

Driving him each season, in addition to division titles and Super Bowls, has been his personal goal of improvement. And while that might seem particularly daunting this season, Wayne said in fact it doesn’t seem too different.

“I do that every off-season; it’s just that this year is going to be even tougher,” Wayne said. “You’ve got a healthy (wide receiver) Marv(in) Harrison out there, so I’m not going to get as many balls as normal. There are no asterisks. I still have to go out there and do what I have to do to make it happen.

“Like I say, if I just stay healthy, who knows? Something may happen.”

And while Wayne said he is motivated by the same goals as before, he also said he is well aware he is no longer a young player by NFL standards. Late this week, he was asked if he could believe he was entering his eighth NFL season.

He laughed at the question.

“It feels like 18 years,” he said. “On my way here (to Terre Haute), normally, I’m getting it. I think I drove all the way up here at 55 miles per hour. But it’s the same. It’s the same thing. I’m blessed to have the same coaching staff and the same routine, so that’s always good. It’s nothing different.

“It’s the same thing, coming out here, knowing what to do, getting the rust off and hopefully, when you get about three or four practices under your belt you won’t have any problem.”

(colts.com)

Reggie Wayne was back in Indianapolis Saturday evening, and it wasn't to offer an in-depth assessment of the Indianapolis Colts.

That much was made clear as the two-time Pro Bowl receiver stood in a Conseco Fieldhouse corridor prior to the Amp Harris/Reggie Wayne Celebrity Basketball game that benefited Indiana Black Expo.

"C'mon now,'' he said, "don't be asking me about Peyton or Marv.''

Consider it a preemptive dismissal.

Rather than discuss quarterback Peyton Manning, who is expected to miss the first few weeks of training camp after having an infected bursa sac in his left knee removed last Monday, or wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who is coming back from an injury to his left knee and arthroscopic surgery to his right knee, Wayne was focused on the task at hand.

That was hoops.

"When I was a little younger, I could jump a lot higher, but I'm still pretty good,'' said Wayne, 29, who was joined in the event by Colts teammates Bob Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowl safety and the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and wide receiver Courtney Roby.

Wayne spent his offseason shuffling between Miami and New Orleans, but returned to Indy for the game. He'll stick around until Thursday when he heads to Terre Haute for the start of training camp.

"Vacation's over,'' said Wayne, who had a career-best 104 receptions and led the NFL with 1,510 yards last season. "Ain't nobody looking forward to camp because that means you're working for six months.

"But it all starts Thursday. You may not enjoy it all the time, but if you want to win, you've got to do it.''

Although he steadfastly refused to elaborate on Manning's recent surgery and how it might impact the development of the offense, Wayne conceded it's going to be strange for Manning not to be running the No. 1 offense when practice opens Friday morning. That responsibility will rest with backup Jim Sorgi until Manning is cleared to practice.

"He'll be out there,'' Wayne said of Manning. "He just won't be out there participating.

"Who knows? It might pick us up a little bit. This is a first for everybody. We don't know what to expect.''

(indystar.com)

3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts. Wayne could make an argument for being the top receiver on this list. He adjusts well to coverage and can beat you deep or with strong route running underneath. Even with coverage rolled to him last season (with Marvin Harrison out with a knee injury), he still dominated.

4. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans. He is defined by size, speed, and a great set of hands. He needs to stay healthy, but based on pure talent and his physical tools, he deserves to be ranked this high.

(sportingews.com)

Meanwhile, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma reached out to freshmen Arthur Brown and Sean Spence, offering his cellphone number and mentoring (Panthers linebacker Jon Beason did, too). Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork reached out to Marcus Forston. Aldarius Johnson said he cultivated a friendship with Andre Johnson and has spoken with Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss.

UM alumni take losing so hard that Beason was ''in tears'' during games last year. Vilma said last winter that what troubled him in recent years is ``guys not improving year to year. You can't say it's all the talent.''

But after working out with Canes players at 7 a.m. this summer and watching several (such as Allen Bailey) improve this spring, Vilma -- like others -- is encouraged: ``You see everyone wanting to improve.''

(miamiherald.com)

I've been doing full-season tape reviews for five years now, and the one fact that stands out more than any other is that player performance does not take place in a vacuum. The level of competition a player faces seems, more times than not, to largely determine the level of production that player achieves.

I first reviewed this in an article in Scientific Football 2005 when I saw that 26 of Peyton Manning's 53 regular-season and postseason touchdown passes that year came against either subpar coverage personnel or no coverage at all.

I decided to take that concept one step further in Scientific Football 2008 by looking at wide receiver performance versus varying levels of competition. I did this by segmenting cornerbacks into three color categories -- red (the most difficult matchups), yellow (average matchups) and green (the most favorable matchups).

I used the 2007 yards per attempt average of each cornerback to determine his color rating, with red being a YPA of less than 7 yards, yellow being between 7 and 9 yards, and green being more than 9 yards. Cornerbacks who didn't have enough passes thrown in their direction to qualify were placed in a separate "non-qualifier" category. I also tracked receiver performance when facing a cornerback and when facing a non-cornerback (i.e., a safety, a linebacker, no coverage, etc.).

This study produced a large amount of very interesting numbers, but for the sake of brevity, I have culled out the top 10 nuggets of information. They are:

1. Randy Moss can be slowed by red- and yellow-rated cornerbacks. I know it sounds crazy to say anything negative about someone who scored 23 touchdowns for the Patriots this past season, but consider this: In the 95 passes Moss had thrown to him while he was being covered by a red- or yellow-rated cornerback, he gained only 541 yards. That equals 5.7 yards per attempt, a terribly low total. Because 62 of those passes came against yellow-rated corners, Moss' YPA actually was less than those cornerbacks' standard YPA in 2007.

2. The Colts' Reggie Wayne is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Moss and Terrell Owens generally are said to hold this spot, but Wayne beats those two in one of the most important indicators of quality among wide receivers: the ability to beat any cornerback. Take a look at the totals of each of these three when facing cornerbacks last season:

Player ---------Att---Yards---YPA ----TD---INT ---Success %
Reggie Wayne---99---1,158---11.7-----9----3--------74.7
Terrell Owens----95---759-----8.0------9----7--------54.7
Randy Moss-----127---924-----7.3-----15----4-------63.8

Wayne easily topped the others in every sub-segment in this metric except in touchdowns, and he equaled Owens in that one. Wayne has spent his entire career playing in the shadow of Marvin Harrison, even though he has put up numbers just as good as Harrison's in most years. In 2007, when Harrison was out for most of the season and Wayne finally got the Colts' spotlight to himself, he still couldn't avoid the shadow on a leaguewide level, even though he once again posted top-of-the-line totals.

(espn.com)

22. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts: When Marvin Harrison was out last season, Wayne emerged as the team's go-to receiver. The guess here is that is that it stays that way. He's a true star now.

23. Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens: He is the prototype modern safety: rangy and can still tackle. He is what safeties like Roy Williams wish they could be.

26. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans: Injuries limited him last season, but Johnson is one of the best when he's on the field. The Texans were a different team without him last season.

41. Vince Wilfork, DT, New England Patriots: He was the best front-seven player on the Pats defense last season. He's a load in the middle. Moving him off the ball is tough for any center.

44. Kellen Winslow, TE, Cleveland Browns: He has emerged as one of the rising stars for a rising team. His ability to stretch the defense is vital to the Cleveland offense.

50. Devin Hester, KR, Chicago Bears: I don't normally put return men on these lists, but this guy has earned it. It will be interesting to see how long he can maintain it.

(cbs.sportsline.com)

Reggie Wayne reflection keeps evolving.

Once as the best complimentary telephonist to Marvin Harrison, Wayne has carved out his own rightful state among the NFL’s best.

His total has increased in each of seven NFL seasons, and Wayne is set for the hardest part - refining those all over again in 2008 after a career-best year in which he caught 104 passes and produced a league-high 1,510 unloading.

It’s a challenge that Wayne, as predictable, .

“It’s definitely standard to be exacting,” he said Saturday as the Colts held their following day of binding mini-camp. “I feel like I must be able to do that, that I have a duty to be able to take advantage of it.”

Wayne emerged last season as Peyton Manning’s chosen target when Harrison went down with a left knee damage.

At times, he was Manning’s only reliable option.

Harrison missed 11 regular-season games, key-round flow pick Anthony Gonzalez was hobbled by injuries throughout the season and Manning even lost tricky end Dallas Clark for one game in November.

That’s when Wayne excelled.

Forced to play against a petitions of coverages to slow him down, an occasion usually taken for Harrison - the Colts’ career groundbreaker in every single main receiving classification, Wayne unremitting catching passes and turned into full-fledged believers.

“It was shutting up the ,” Wayne said. “They were always talking on the order of could I do it, could I do it. They always said it was because Marvin was there, which is true. But I was still able to do it when he wasn’t there.”

Still, Wayne knows it be enhanced for Indianapolis to work in tandem.

The eight-time Pro Bowler is two bad knees, and finds himself part of an inquiry into an purported firing incident in his of Philadelphia. Harrison has been interviewed by police but has not been exciting with any illegality.

Agent Tom Condon Harrison was concerned, and Colts officials have declined to comment exactly until they receive more credible report.

The Colts better disquiet is construction sure Harrison is healthy. He had surgery on his in shape knee following Indy’s playoff loss to San Diego and has been rehabilitating an swollen capsule in his left knee, the wrong that kept him out a career-high 11 games last year.

Coach Tony Dungy said Harrison is in town for camp but is not running out this week because of his treatment. Mini-camp ends Sunday.

“We’ll see where it (the search goes). I’m not indeed up on all the ,” Dungy said Saturday. “The doctors are adage he (Harrison) should be fine. Last season, he had a skillful opening day and was on the way to having the type of year we count on from Marvin. So we ruminate he’ll be OK.”

Wayne, who may be the closest to Harrison, said he’s not concerned of the order of the recce, only Harrison’s vigor.

And he can’t to get him back. In fact, Harrison can’t wait to get back on the field.

“You can tell it’s undeniably sad him not consciousness out there,” Wayne said. “That’s where I got a lot of my practice help from, because he never takes plays off so when Peyton’s out there, I don’t take off. We feed off each other and I’d much satisfactorily have him out there because the more we’re laid-back, the in good health off we’ll be.”

But getting Harrison back also could power Wayne’s stats.

Of course, that’s not how Wayne sees it. In an era where many receivers are regularly defendant of spirit selfish, Wayne points out that with the two Pro Bowl , the Colts won a Super Bowl. With Harrison at less than full force they were in the local round of the .

“I like it that way because that way they can’t key on me,” Wayne said.

Besides, Wayne has by this time established , put up the colorful numbers and won a Super Bowl ring.

All he truthfully wants now is some more locket, and that’s what Dungy likes to hear.

“He’s gotten restored every year since we got here, manufacture . He made a ton of big plays for us last year,” Dungy said. “That’s in fact not a complete lot unusual than what he did from the aforementioned three years, and that’s what we’d like to see over this year.”

(daymlb.com)

INDIANAPOLIS - Reggie Wayne stands among those who want Marvin Harrison back to full health, making stunning catches rather than dealing with surgeries and suspicions.

Wayne had his best year as an Indianapolis Colt, in terms of numbers, in 2007, when Harrison missed most of the season.

But the ending was unsatisfying.

“We feed off each other; I would much rather have him out there healthy,” Wayne said during the Colts three-day mini-camp, which ended Sunday. “As an example: He was healthy, I was healthy and we went to the Super Bowl. Our offense was - what do they say? - potent. As close as he can be to 100 percent, the better I'll be.”

Wayne makes it a point to try to drive his production up each season, a goal that turns tougher as he gets better. He set career bests in 2007 in catches (104) and yards (1,510) and had his second-best touchdown total (10, two short of 12 in Peyton Manning's record-setting 2004 season).

Driving him are his critics, real or perceived.

“There was always talk about, ‘Could I do it?' ” Wayne said. “A lot of times I would hear I'm good because of Marvin, which I am because he's helped me get better. But at the same time, I know what I can do, and I was able to prove it last year.”

Wayne, 29, enters his eighth season in the NFL, and he's added the role of elder statesman and role model to his resume. He's now the one who'll have to mentor the younger receivers, such as Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall. With Wayne's outgoing, vocal personality, he's better suited for the task in many ways than Harrison.

He credits Harrison with teaching him the finer points of pro football work ethic, including never missing a repetition during practice unless sidelined by injury.

“When I got here, I looked at Marv and he was taking every rep,” Wayne said. “I said, if that's what I have to do to be great, I'm going to take every snap, too. So whenever Peyton's out there, I'm out there. Hopefully, (Harrison) can come back. I think he'll be back and ready to go and I'm looking forward to it.”

Wayne said he has not talked to Harrison about the shooting in Philadelphia that remains unresolved. Police questioned Harrison and it has been reported that Harrison's gun was used in an incident in which a man was injured by a bullet, and a broken window from the same incident injured a child. Harrison assured Colts officials he was not involved in the incident.

Harrison attended the Colts mini-camp, the Colts said, but did not participate because of offseason knee surgery. Several other Colts, including Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders, Gary Brackett and Ryan Lilja, did not participate for health reasons.

“Knowing Marv for eight years, I can tell you he's definitely hurting not being able to be out there,” Wayne said. “The only thing I've talked to Marv about is his health. That's the only thing that concerns me. I just want him to be healthy.”

Wayne, meanwhile, is the picture of perfect health.

Between now and training camp in July, he'll be staying in shape and figuring out how to raise his receiving standards once again.

(news-sentinel.com)

Reggie Wayne – WR – University of Miami 2001 Draft / 1st Round / Indianapolis Colts

Coming out of the “U” in 2001, Reggie Wayne was part of a resurgence for Miami football that would lead to an onslaught of former Hurricanes being drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. Between the 2001 and 2004 NFL drafts there would be 20 Miami Hurricanes selected in the first round, which is an astonishing number for any one school. Wayne, who would finish his four years as the school’s leader in career receptions (176), would join former Canes Lamar Thomas and Michael Irvin as one of only three players to ever record more than 20 receiving touchdowns in school history.

Wayne’s rookie season with the Colts was a big transition for him as he would not make much of an impact recording only 27 receptions for 345 yards. Playing opposite of Marvin Harrison obviously wasn’t helpful in his adjustment to the NFL, but he worked hard to gain the trust of QB Peyton Manning and to date has 494 receptions for 6,984 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns for his career, which is good for second place amongst his draft class. Graduating from Miami a year before they beat Nebraska in the BCS National Championship game Wayne made up for it by being a key contributor to the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI championship team. The two time Pro Bowler caught a 53 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to help the Colts beat the Chicago Bears.

The 2001 draft was an interesting one at the wide receiver position. Six players, including Wayne, were drafted in the first round. Three players are currently out of the league and of the three still playing only Wayne is still with the team that drafted him. This draft class is headlined by bust David Terrell (Michigan, 1st, 8th overall) who had so much promise coming out of college. Terrell is joined by Rod Gardner (Clemson, 1st, 15th overall) and Freddie Mitchell (UCLA, 1st, 25th overall) as players that couldn’t live up to their draft position.
The sweet spot for the 2001 draft with respect to the receiving position is between the 30th overall selection (Wayne) and the 74th overall selection. Between these 44 selections the NFL careers of Wayne, Chad Johnson (Oregon State, 2nd, 36th overall), Chris Chambers (Wisconsin, 2nd, 52nd overall) and Steve Smith (Utah, 3rd, 74th overall) would begin. Another notable alumni from this draft class is Ocho Cinco’s college teammate, TJ Houshmandzadeh (Oregon State, 7th, 204th), who like Johnson went to the Bengals – only 168 picks later.

Judging by his on field production, Wayne is clearly the most accomplished receiver in his draft class. While he may trail Chad Johnson in certain receiving statistics, he has not been the primary receiver during his career with the Colts. Additionally, Wayne further showcased his talent by stepping in admirably into the #1 receiver role due to Harrison’s injury struggles in 2007.

(draftnuggets.com)

4. Andre Johnson
Houston Texans
Johnson is big (6-3, 219), physical, runs solid routes and makes plays. In terms of physical tools, he is every bit as good as the three guys in front of him. He may have been overlooked in the past because of poor quarterback play (see David Carr 2003-06) but should improve as he works more with Matt Schaub. Johnson's numbers last season (60 catches, 851 yards) would have been more impressive if he had not missed seven games with an injury.

5. Reggie Wayne
Indianapolis Colts
The only real knock on Wayne is that he has always been 1B to Marvin Harrison, who was 1A. That's no longer the case as he is Peyton Manning's top option now. Wayne has sneaky speed, which can catch a corner off guard. He has a great feel for Indianapolis' system and the ability to find holes in a defense.

33. Santana Moss
Washington Redskins
Moss is small (5-10, 200), but few players in the league can rival his deep speed. He gets pushed around too much, can wear down and has trouble staying healthy. Also, he was tied for third in the league with 10 drops last season, according to Stats LLC. However, with new coach Jim Zorn expected to throw more often than the Redskins did in the past, Moss could have a resurgence. It is clear he will never be a top red zone option or a No. 1 wideout who can consistently handle double-teams, but Moss can be a difference-maker as a complementary option. Zorn will get the ball in his hands.

51. Roscoe Parrish
Buffalo Bills
Parrish has been a versatile player for the Bills. He is a No. 3 receiver who is best in the slot and using his quickness and run-after-catch ability in space. His biggest contribution, however, may come on special teams handling punts and kickoffs.

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