Hartmann talks about his suspension
--Texans punter Brett Hartmann is facing a three-game suspension to start the regular season, which will make it difficult to beat out Donnie Jones. The suspension was lowered from four to three games, and Hartmann told Fox 26 in Houston he was suspended for taking Ritalin.
"I took something that was under the performance enhancing banned substance list," Hartmann said. "It was something for a medical condition that I didn't have approval for from the NFL and now I currently have approval for it, so I can take it.
"It was just for ADD medicine, but now I have approval to take it from our doctors and the NFL doctors. I just made a mistake. Should have got that approved before. Just got to move on. Serve the three-game suspension."
--The Colts added tight end Andre Smith this week and released cornerback Mike Holmes. Smith had been waived by Chicago. Smith is now one of six tight ends who are working out with the team. Pagano said additional roster moves are not out of the question.
"Anytime we can bring a guy in and upgrade so to speak and supplement a position where we need to we're going to make that move. We're going to be extremely active as we go," Pagano said.
--Pagano on what's it's like being a rookie head coach in the NFL: "Every day I walk into the office there's a surprise. It's been a whirlwind, but when you have the support that you have just top to bottom here, it's made it very, very simple. Great staff, great ownership. We've got a great (general manager), great scouts, the whole nine yards. Like I've said, you've got great support. Then you get the effort, the enthusiasm and the participation from the players. It's makes things easy. With every day it gets a little bit easier."
--Pagano on the differences from being a position coach or coordinator to being a head coach at the NFL level: "A lot of things that come across your desk now that you're not use to dealing with. Like trying to figure out what are we going to eat on the plane ride to such-and-such, who's going to sit where and some of those crazy things that you never had to worry about before. Now to get on the field it's not coaching a position, it's not coaching the defense. You're watching everybody from an organizational standpoint, that's the hardest thing. You still try to get in and make a few things here and there. Guys remind me that they are OK and have got things covered."
--Pagano on the best advice that he's received on being a head coach: "When I went to the owners' meetings and had a chance to be around guys I had worked with -- John (Harbaugh, Ravens coach) and other guys -- one thing they said was, 'Be yourself, do not change. Be the same person, same coach.' (Cincinnati coach) Marvin Lewis is a great friend and mentor and a guy I respect a great deal. Every coach I've talked to. I asked them about their first time and all they went through and all of the things that transpired, what advice would they give a first-time head coach. That seemed to be the overwhelming one: Just be yourself. What you see is what I am."
--Veteran cornerback Jerraud Powers has been impressed with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck: "He's got his priorities right," Powers said recently.
He met Luck during the team's rookie minicamp earlier this month, and playfully sparred with him.
"He's got that QB swagger, cockiness in a good way," Powers said. "I think he's going to step in and be a hell of a quarterback."
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Great energy, great enthusiasm and obviously the attendance is phenomenal. You can see both sides of the ball, you can see special teams. Everybody is out here getting better. They're working the fundamentals, their working the techniques. The communication is getting better and we're working a ton of situational stuff. We did third down (Monday), two-minute drill (Tuesday), and (Wednesday) we spent a good deal and amount of time on the red area. So we're making progress. My hats off again to these guys, they're busting their tails and have the leadership and the old vets so to speak here going through everything, it shows their passion and what they want to try accomplish this season." -- Colts coach Chuck Pagano on what he's seen during the first week of Indianapolis' OTA practices.
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