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Stephen Holder
WESTFIELD, Ind. — Indianapolis Colts veteran working again Salvon Ahmed, taken down by a defender with an unlawful hip-drop sort out, suffered a extreme decrease proper leg harm in Sunday’s coaching camp apply and was instantly taken to a hospital for X-rays.
The play occurred throughout what the Colts describe as a developmental interval, when drills normally embody third-string gamers. Through the interval when Ahmed was injured, the Colts had been going “dwell,” that means tackling was allowed.
Ahmed took a handoff and broke free earlier than being chased down from behind as he crossed the objective line by undrafted free agent Trey Washington. Hip-drop tackles had been banned final season due to the excessive variety of decrease physique accidents that happen on account of the method.
Ahmed instantly grabbed his proper ankle, which was caught in an ungainly place. Ahmed appeared to be in vital ache as trainers got here to assist, and security Camryn Bynum gathered teammates round and led a prayer.
The working again was positioned onto a stretcher by paramedics and carted off the sphere.
“By no means wish to see that occur,” coach Shane Steichen stated. “I do know we do not encourage hip-drop tackles. I do know Trey’s down within the dumps, and I do not assume he is making an attempt to try this. We’re simply making an attempt to create an edge. … These [backups] are going to need to sort out come preseason.”
The Colts have carried out valuable few dwell parts of apply in Steichen’s first two camps in Indianapolis. This 12 months, nonetheless, he promised a extra intense camp and a few dwell tackling.
“I believe coaching camp is the place you wish to create the sting and the toughness and the identification of your soccer crew, so you might have dwell durations,” Steichen stated.
Following the harm, Steichen mentioned the right way to proceed together with his crew’s management. There was about quarter-hour of apply remaining, together with a key interval of simulated 2-minute conditions. They agreed that carrying on can be greatest.
“There’s guys out right here that want these reps to compete and get higher,” stated veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin, who stated he has been associates with Ahmed for six years. “We’re making an attempt to be the very best crew that we may be so we will win. We have got to maintain pushing ourselves.”
Stated Steichen: “There’s plenty of ideas occurring in my head throughout that scenario. I talked to a few of the leaders on the crew. We wished to get that final 2-minute scenario in. Felt that we would have liked that. They had been on board with that.”
Ahmed has performed 4 seasons within the NFL, all with the Miami Dolphins, and joined the Colts as a free agent earlier this 12 months.
