AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

Colts WR Parris Campbell is eager to prove skeptics wrong this season after struggling with injuries throughout his career, 

“From the outside looking in, people say, ‘Oh, he can’t stay healthy.’ Excuse my language, but to hell with that. I know who I am at the end of the day, I know what type of player I am. I know why I was drafted here, and the (coaching) staff room, they know. They know I’ve been through a lot, but they know the type of player I am as well. So, just when it all comes together, people on the outside stay on the outside,” said Campbell, via J.J. Stankevitz of the team’s official site. 

Campbell is confident that he’ll have a strong season in 2022, which is a contract year for him. 

“When the pressure is high, I know how to perform,” Campbell said. “It’s all a confidence thing — I got so much confidence in myself. And what better way to prove everybody wrong and prove myself right in Year 4, in my contract year.”

Jaguars

Jaguars’ first-overall pick Travon Walker is now adjusting from playing defensive end at Georgia to outside linebacker in the NFL. He spoke about how the transition is going via their team website.

“Just strictly working on outside linebacker things in practice I feel like I’m truly getting more comfortable with the position,” Walker said, via Jaguars.com. “There’s always room for improvement. Coming from Georgia, there was a lot of techniques we went over but also coming here [there are a lot]. At Georgia we ran a lot of techniques, but once I got here, [I had to] break down a lot of those techniques that I learned at Georgia, and focus on that one thing.”

Walker was then asked about playing multiple positions as a weapon in the Jaguars’ defense, similar to the role of Cowboys LB Micah Parsons.

“So far, I’m at outside linebacker with (linebackers) coach (Bill) Shuey, but who knows what the future holds?” Walker said. “The more comfortable I get with the defense, you never know.”

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson is determined to make sure Walker has great coaching that will help him find success at the NFL level.

“It’s my job too to protect him a little bit from some of the outside influences that could affect him and then just allow him to focus on his job,” Pederson said. “But I think Travon is a mature individual. He’s young, but he’ll be well-coached up and that’s our job to do that.”

Texans

• New Texans DE Jerry Hughes on signing to play with his hometown team, as he hails from Sugar Land, Texas and attended Texas Christian University: “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s like taking working from home to whole nother level. To be able to work in the city that I grew up in, watch this franchise come and have always cheered for.” (Mark Berman)