Hometown Hero Jack Doyle Now Third in Tenure on Colts Roster

Since coming home in 2013 after being cut by Tennessee, Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle has earned two Pro Bowl honors. He signed a three-year, $21.3-million extension last December.

Hometown Hero Jack Doyle Now Third in Tenure on Colts Roster

INDIANAPOLIS — Not long ago, tight end Jack Doyle was the undrafted, understated hometown guy just trying to keep a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts.

He came back to his hometown in 2013, after being released by Tennessee. Fast forward seven seasons later, Doyle is coming off his second Pro Bowl and is third on seniority with the Colts. Just left tackle Anthony Castonzo (drafted in 2011) and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (drafted in 2012) have been around longer.

Doyle thinks back to his early days, at how he would chuckle when backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck teased his locker-room neighbor, saying it was part of the passer’s job.

“I think about those days every so often,” Doyle said in a Wednesday Zoom video conference call. “I think of old teammates. You mentioned Matt, I’ll talk to him every once in a while. I was lucky to come into a locker room, have a locker by him and get advice from a guy like that.

“I just think of me as a player, I just try to get better every day and let that kind of snowball. The same thing as a person, you have your ups and downs as a player like you do as a person. Just trying to improve, become a better husband, and become a better dad. I have a long way to go so just still trying to do that.”

Doyle, who turned 30 on Tuesday, caught 43 passes for 448 yards and four TDs last season. His best season came in 2017, when he earned his first Pro Bowl nod with 80 receptions for 690 yards and 4 TDs. He has 243 receptions for 2,176 yards and 18 TDs in his career.

Last December, Doyle signed a three-year, $21.3-million contract extension.

The married father of two young children concedes the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions with NFL facilities closed indefinitely have forced players to adjust in their offseason training activities.

“It has its challenges as everybody is going through,” he said. “The challenges that my family is dealing with is not comparable to what some of the other people out there are dealing with, so it is hard to complain or say anything about that. I have enjoyed the time and getting to spend extra time with the kids. That part of it – trying to take that part for a positive.”

His 2018 season was reduced to six games after suffering a painful hip surgery early on, then a scary kidney injury in Week 12 that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. His offseason workout routine would change for 2019, and he’s continued to re-evaluate training since.

“Obviously, going into last year was a completely different offseason than I’ve been through, having the hip surgery and I was getting over the kidney procedure or whatever,” he said. “So that was a completely different offseason in trying to get ready and get my body back. I’ve scaled back a little bit in what I do early on in not pushing myself too far honestly because I feel like I got into that in 2018. Not that that caused injuries or anything, but just to give my body more of a break after this year. But (I’m) still doing some things.

“So yeah, it has changed a little bit and I think it has to change. You have to evaluate yourself every year, see how you’re feeling, and just listen to your body and be smart. Then obviously the challenges of working out at home even though I have all the equipment I need, but the workouts might take a little longer because I don’t have everything I need and it’s not all in one place. It has been a bit of a challenge, but I’ve got all day to get it done so I get it done.”

The Colts, who ranked seventh in rushing offense in 2017, rely on Doyle as their best tight-end blocker on the edges when he’s not moving the chains as a reliable pass catcher. The team drafted running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round to join Marlon Mack for a one-two punch, and Doyle smiles when asked if he’s ready to block in 2020.

“Yeah, I am always ready to block. I love blocking,” he said. “I learned to block from the very beginning of football. I’ll give a shout out to Mr. Whitsett who is a good family friend and was my first offensive line coach when I played right guard and taught us how to block. So I have always loved blocking.

“Turning those runs into big runs and explosive runs is just extra effort from everyone. It is fun, we have been having our meetings and installing plays and looking at plays from last year and it is fun to watch and see our offensive linemen – include Mo (Alie-Cox) in there and all the tight ends. Don’t forget about the receivers because they all block. It is just fun to see guys doing that extra effort. If we just keep that up, we will keep hitting those big runs.”