Colts' Anthony Gould: 'Anthony Richardson Can Throw It 80 Yards to Me’

Indianapolis Colts rookie Anthony Gould is ecstatic about his role with the team and getting to work with his newest teammates.

Oct 8, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Anthony Gould (2) reacts / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts selected former Oregon State wide receiver Anthony Gould with the No. 142 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Gould is an explosive playmaker with inside-outside versatility. The Beavers standout, who ran a 4.39 at the NFL Combine, recorded career-highs in receptions (44) and receiving yards (718) this past season.

Gould recently spoke exclusively with Horseshoe Huddle and discussed his pre-draft experience with the Colts and was even willing to share the vision and role that the coaching staff sees him playing on offense (and special teams) in 2024.

Gould also touched on his initial meetings with legendary wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne, learning from Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor, and more.

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JM: First things first. The Indianapolis Colts drafted you in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. What was the moment like for you? It seemed worth the wait.

Gould: It was definitely a surreal moment for me. Having the opportunity to hear your name called, it was a dream come true for me. That’s something you don’t take for granted. It was surreal because I know the amount of work I’ve put in throughout my entire life.

My family made so many sacrifices to get me to this point. I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices as well. It was so surreal. It still doesn’t feel real to me to be honest with you (laughs). It probably won’t feel real until we start practicing. 

It was a great moment for my family and I. I couldn’t be happier to join the Indianapolis Colts organization.

JM: Did you have a lot of pre-draft interest from the Colts, or did they come as a surprise to you?

Gould: It was a little bit of a surprise. I was always told throughout this process that the teams you don’t think like you are probably the ones that like you the most. I got around the Colts a little bit throughout the process.

Assistant wide receivers coach Brian Batton was my wide receivers coach at the East-West Shrine. I had a connection to the Colts through that. I also spoke with them once or twice afterwards. I spent a little bit of time with them at the NFL Combine as well.

But it wasn’t something that I felt super strong about. There were a few other teams that were hitting me up on a more consistent basis. It worked out beautifully. I’m thrilled to be joining the Colts. I’m ready to go to work.

JM: You ran a 4.39 at the NFL Combine with excellent splits of 2.55 and 1.50. You also leaped a 39.5 inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad. General manager Chris Ballard loves athletes. Did he mention being impressed with your testing results?

Gould: That was something they mentioned on the back burner. It was the tape that impressed them the most. They said they could tell I was an athletic guy on tape. They were super big on me. They love my game, they love me as a wideout. They love the speed I bring to the table.

They also mentioned what I could do in the return game for them. They fell in love with what I showed on tape first and foremost. The testing numbers definitely didn’t hurt though. They helped out a lot.

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JM: You'll be learning under a fantastic wide receivers coach in franchise legend Reggie Wayne. What have your meetings with coach Wayne been like?

Gould: They’ve been great. He pays close attention to detail. That’s something I pride myself on. The devil is in the details. Anytime you can wake up and be around an all-time great like Reggie Wayne, I know I’m extremely fortunate to be in this situation. I want to learn from him.

I can’t believe I’m going to be coached by Reggie Wayne. It’s such a huge blessing. I’m thrilled I get to go to work and be coached by a Hall of Famer. That’s something a lot of people can’t say. I’m ready. We’ve already had some great conversations and some great meetings.

I’m ready to get up there and be around the entire wide receivers room. I can’t wait to be a great teammate. I’m excited.

JM: Has coach Wayne and the coaching staff discussed the vision and how they see you fitting their scheme? What role does head coach Shane Steichen see you playing this season?

Gould: I’m a versatile playmaker. We’ve talked about me playing both inside and outside. I’m going to play in the return game as well. I’m not going to be limited just to the slot. That’s what I’ve been told. I played outside for most of my college career. I can do both.

I’m going to learn both inside and outside wide receiver positions. I’m also getting ready to play in the return game. That’s the vision for me. They’ve [the staff] been big on that throughout this process.

JM: What changed going into your 2023 season that made you a focal part of that Oregon State offense? You had a career-best season.

Gould: I earned the trust of my teammates. I put in the work with the guys. In previous years, we had some players that could play ball at a high level. We were always very deep in the wide receiver room.

I took that next step when I became the veteran in the room. We also placed more emphasis on the passing game this past season. We worked on that. In 2022, we weren’t the best at moving the ball through the air.

There were games in 2022 where we only threw it 10-15 times per game. That’s not acceptable if you want to excel as a well-balanced offense. We wanted to improve the passing game at Oregon State. We wanted to generate more explosives. I feel like we did that this past year.

JM: Talk to me about your excitement level to play with quarterback Anthony Richardson? Are you going to catch a bunch of deep ball touchdowns for him?

Gould: I know Anthony Richardson can throw it 80 yards (laughs). I already told him, just throw the ball up there. I’ll run out there and go get it.

I’m excited to play with him. He’s a great quarterback. He’s a young guy who still has his best football ahead of him. I’m excited to get up there and start building that connection and chemistry with him.

JM: I don't know how well you know your teammates, but there are some special guys on that side of the ball. Who are you most excited to learn from?

Gould: All of them really, especially in the wideout room. Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce are special players. They’ve been there and excelled in this offense. A guy like JT [Jonathan Taylor], I’ve already connected with him as well.

I’m going to soak up as much knowledge as I can. I can’t wait to get around all of them, no matter who it is. This is my first go-around in the NFL. I’m going to soak up every ounce of information I can. I’m going to be a sponge when it comes to that.

JM: We've appreciated your time today. What is the rookie season goal for Anthony Gould in 2024?

Gould: I want to win a Super Bowl this season. We want to win a bunch of games. That’s always the biggest goal for me. I can’t wait to come in and make an impact. I want to make the biggest impact I can possibly make. That’s the No. 1 goal for me.

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