Al-Quadin Muhammad Keeps Earning Snaps
INDIANAPOLIS — He entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by New Orleans in 2018, but Al-Quadin Muhammad played in just four games as a rookie and was waived before his second season.
Looking back now, leaving the Saints turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for the defensive end, who was claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts. Muhammad, 25, says a Colts 4-3 scheme that required him to be quicker suited his style.
He’s played in 31 games and made 47 total tackles, mostly as a reserve, in the past two years. His three sacks last season were the first of his NFL career.
Muhammad says his story of perseverance is all about doing whatever it takes to succeed, which started with toning his body to be leaner, which translates to more quickness. He’s listed at 6-4 and 250 pounds.
“To be honest, the type of scheme and defense we run, that’s who I am,” he said in a Monday Zoom video call. “I had to transform – I had to lose a little weight, get my body fat down a little bit. Just get back to flying around, working different things based on the scheme and the defense that I was in before. I played in this type of scheme in high school. It was just great for me – my attitude, the way I play, it was great.
“Each year, I’ve just been getting better and better and better and getting comfortable in the system and getting familiar with what they want and just being coachable and just trying to do everything that they want me to do. It has just been really great for me. I am actually blessed and I’m excited. I’m happy I’m here and I’m happy that I’m able to work with all the great guys and coaches that are around me. (It) just happened to be a great fit. It fits me perfectly. It doesn’t get any better than this for me, I don’t think.”
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Muhammad said he worked out this past offseason with Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp. He can’t say enough about how Colts defensive end Justin Houston has provided continual input on ways Muhammad can improve. New defensive line coach Brian Baker has also made a positive impression in stressing that defensive linemen must play to their strengths.
“One thing I like about ‘B’ (Brian Baker), he definitely keeps pushing you to get better,” Muhammad said. “Every day, he coaches you hard. He’s very, very, very picky when it comes down to steps and technique and a lot of different things that make you focus on those little things that you need to work on to get better. With me, coach Baker is always all over me about different things, like little things. If I do something, it might be good or it might be great – it’s never good enough for him. When you have a coach like that, it’s actually a good thing. We have a great relationship. He’s a great dude, he’s a great guy, he’s a great coach.
“He just always stays on top of me. He calls me ‘Mo.’ He says ‘Hey Mo, you could do this a little faster. Take this step, take this angle. Place your hand here. You were a little bit too far up or inside on this.’ He just coaches every little thing. It’s actually been helping me because I take coaching well and I try to focus on things along with giving him what he wants, but with my style of play. He also is not coaching me to be a robot out there. He wants you to go out there and play ball, play fast and read and react as quick as possible. Also, he wants you to just focus on the little, little, little things because the little things make a big difference. He always tries to remind you of that.”
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The Colts’ March acquisition of All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has also changed the dynamic of the position group. He sets an example for others as an elite three-technique force. An argument could be made that the Colts have improved more at defensive line than at any other position.
Muhammad said another key to his development has been his mental approach. It’s not easy being a backup and getting fewer snaps, but he stays focused on making the most of whatever plays he gets. In Saturday’s scrimmage, he would have had one sack if the defense was allowed to tackle.
“Every day when I wake up, I come to work with that positive mindset,” he said. “How can I compete? How can I get better? How can I get on the field? I’m one of those guys who is willing to do anything to help the team, help the organization. I get pointers from the coach, I get pointers from Justin Houston, a guy who has been getting a bunch of sacks since he’s been in this league.
“It’s been working. I’m my biggest critic. I don’t mind criticism, so I always go to Justin and other guys and coach, and try to figure out, ‘What did you see here? What did you see there? How can I get better here?’ It’s just different things. You always try to find a way. Try to get off the ball faster. Try to be a smarter football player, that’s been helping me a lot, too, becoming a smarter football player and understanding different situations and different formations better to give me that pre-snap read that will help me get off the ball faster.”
And he reiterates another necessity: “Technique, technique, technique.”
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
