Antoine Bethea fought his way through adversity and doubts and immediately established himself as a top caliber DB with the Indianapolis Colts. If you didn't already recognize his talents and the impact he made immediately, let me refresh your memory. Antoine Bethea not only started in his rookie sason (after being drafted in the 6th round), but he won a Super Bowl ring his first year in the league! Then he follows that up with his sophomore season and a trip to the Pro Bowl. There are countless players with more hype and flashier personalities, but Antoine Bethea came to play. He has accomplished in just two years what many NFL players strive for over the course of their entire careers. Shut up and play!
Q: What are some of your favorite memories of playing at Howard University and how does NCAA football compare to NFL football?
Q: Looking back on the 2006 Draft, what are your thoughts now on being drafted in the sixth round as the 207th overall pick? I love the success stories of players who are drafted late and then make an immediate impact, but you not only made a major impact – you won the Super Bowl!
Q: Your first year in the league had to have made lasting memories. I immediately think of the interception against the Ravens in the playoffs as the marquee play of your 2006 season, but what do you remember most about your rookie year?
Q: Super Bowl ring in 2006, then 2007 rolls around and you go to the Pro Bowl. You knocked out two of the biggest goals for any NFL player in your first 2 years in the league. I’m sure you want to fill your hands with rings, but what personal goals as a player do you shoot for now?
Q: You have been a key player in leading the Colts defense and maintaining the stout pass defense (ranked 2nd in the league both in 2006 and 2007). Is it the defensive philosophy/scheme or the coaching, or the skill of the players that you credit most for such a strong pass defense?
Q: I know the season is long and grueling on a body. How do you handle the constant aches and pains and what do you do to recover from injury as quick as you do?
Q: What do you focus on during the off-season? Do you immediately begin focusing on preparation for the next season or do you focus on other business opportunities or do you just want to get away and relax with friends and family?
Q: What do you to prepare for the upcoming season, both mentally and physically?
Q: With the Colts returning the defensive starters from last year, what do you focus on as a defensive group to not only maintain the fantastic pass coverage, but elevate even higher as a defensive unit?
Q: I imagine it helps a defense only get better when you practice and play with some of the best offensive players in the league as well. How much do you think that factors into the quality of a defensive unit?
Q: What do you feel is the most important aspect to focus on as a DB: speed, quickness, or strength?
Q: What are the best methods to work on each? Did you do specific drills during HS and College to work on each aspect? Strength can obviously be accomplished in the weight room with a disciplined routine, but how can you effectively work to increase speed and agility?
Q: As a DB, what kind of tricks or tips do you read to anticipate the offensive play and more specifically your coverage assignment?
Q: Have you ever had to overcome what others said about your game and skill as a player? What did you do to silence any doubters?
Q: Looking back through your entire football career to your days at Denbigh High School , when did you first realize you had a legitimate shot at College football and possibly an NFL career? Was it a specific year, specific game, or even a specific play that gave you the belief of the possibilities?
Antoine: I think in high school I was always more athletic than I was given credit for out of high school, but I always worked really hard. As far as the NFL, Its been a dream for a long time, from all long as I can remember.
Antoine: Man, memories of the real HU lets see, Just hanging out with my teammates, not even playing the actual game but just the relationships that I gained. Well, when I compare college to the NFL, its really not that different on the field. Sure guys are bigger and faster but its still just football. As long as you love playing it should never be a distinction between “levels.” I’m sure you know that I’ve had to deal with “level of competition” questions my whole life.
Antoine: I’m happy that I got drafted to the Colts. I just wished that they pulled the trigger on me sooner. That is part of this whole thing though, lots of players prove that teams are wrong on value at times, so a player like me, getting drafted where I did shows these younger guys from smaller schools that you just need to work hard and they will find you.
Antoine: Man, my rookie yr was a dream! Coming in and being a starter right away, then winning the Super Bowl, what more could any player ask for? I’ve been so blessed in my short career that I constantly have to remember that I have to duplicate that yr over and over while still finding a way to get better. Instincts and my athleticism is what helped my get that interception. Everything was going so fast that you rely on your god given tools to get you through situations, that was a great example of it.
Antoine: Lets see, well again I’m blessed! I’m note surprised though, do you know who my head coach is (Dungy is the greatest!). Let me say this, I’ve always played to be the best at my position-it’s what the Colts coaching staff teaches. So being in the position that I’m in isn’t an accident. Sure I want to get back to the “big game” but even more than that is my dream of being the best teammate to the younger guys. I was embraced when I got here by some of the best players in the NFL, so now I have to return that favor on this new crop of young Colts players’.
Antoine: All of the above to be honest. When opportunity meets preparation, you have a date with destiny. I will always be prepared!
Antoine: I eat very healthy so that when I do get injured, the healing can start right away. Plus, I have my meals prepared so I have more time for additional to take care of my body. Stretching (when I watch TV) is something that I constantly do. There’s nothing like having a strained muscle preventing you from being your best.
Antoine: I vacation, visit friends in DC, and work on my life outside of football. So along with my agents, I take business meetings that deal with various endeavors that I am involved with, and other opportunities.
Antoine: Nothing special than I would normally do-remember its football so I train my body like everyone else, and I also watch game film from the previous season.
Antoine: We have a core group of guys that made the commitment to each other to be the best. So I’m accountable to those guys as they are to me. It goes beyond what you mentioned in the question. See, when you make a commitment, the task is secondary. The commitment becomes the reason our coverage’s rarely brake down.
Antoine: It certainly helps to have Reggie and Marvin, and Payton over there running and throwing. They run some of the best routes in the league so when you are out on the practice field, you better tighten your cleats.
Antoine: Neither, the most important attribute a db can have is intelligence! Once you step away from the question and hear the answer, you’ll realize that all are equally pressing to your skills as a db.
Antoine: Just become an “athlete.” Any coach can teach an athlete any drill to get better, focus on your athleticism.
Antoine: Study is the best teacher, that’s why you need to spend time in the classroom. Its not enough to “learn”, but it’s the process of how you learn that will help you on the football field. In the NFL, we spend tons of time in the classroom so take my advice, be a great student of the academic “game” and it will help you become a great student of the “game!”
Antoine: All the time, all I did was shut up and play!
Any questions? Shut up and play is the best advice I have ever heard and that applies at every level of the sport. Antoine has already shown that his value as a DB is unmistakeable and undeniable. He not only represents for all the up-and-coming players, but he represents everything I love about football. He cam from a school that is often overlooked and he himself was overlooked by so many in the draft (falling to the 6th round), but he just went out and played to his potential and sent a lot of doubters packing. Go find another NFL player to plant your doubts on. There is no doubt Antoine Bethea is the real deal. His rookie year he comes and starts and wins a Super Bowl ring, then follows that up with a trip to the Pro Bowl the very next year. Shut up and play!
