Colts' Floyd ready if called to action

The Chaney High graduate will wear an Indianapolis uniform today.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Anthony Floyd, the Indianapolis Colts' rookie free safety from here, doesn't know for sure if he will get into today's season opener against the Browns in Cleveland, but he's hoping he does and plans to be ready.
"I prepare for the game like I am getting into the game," said Floyd, a former Chaney High star and Louisville All-American who made the Colts' 53-man roster last Sunday.
"They have the starters [at free safety] out there right now," Floyd said of his team. "They probably will play the whole game.
"But I can get in the game any time. If an injury does occur, I may get in," Floyd said. "I'll just sit there and wait for my opportunity to play.
"[The coaches] are doing a couple of different things" with the defense, and that may give him a chance to squeeze into one of the alignments sooner.
Interceptions
Floyd knows he has the ability to make interceptions like at Louisville, but he isn't sure how much the Colts' opponents will know about him to risk passes in his territory.
"Some of the coaches who scouted me when I was in college might know," Floyd said in a telephone interview Saturday. "But some of the quarterbacks don't know some of the younger players, [and] I am a rookie, so I will see my share of opportunities because they are going to throw passes."
He said the Colts' coaches know what he is capable of doing, so he is just hoping for a chance to show them in the game.
"I had the opportunity to play a lot of preseason games, so they really had an opportunity to see what I can do. There were some injuries in preseason, and that allowed me to play more than I would have otherwise," said Floyd.
He has found that the biggest challenge so far in the NFL is learning everything in detail.
Because "playing at this level, there is a lot more knowledge across the board. Any miss-assignment [can be costly]. The biggest change [from college to pros] is knowing what to do right every time."
Expectations
Floyd said a player must know what he is required to do.
"There is not a lot of room for error. Most of the games come down to the fourth quarter the majority of the time. The games are so close and one little mistake can cost you the ball game," Floyd said.
He said understanding the pro game is the key.
"It is very detailed trying to understand different stuff. There is not necessarily more to learn, but exactly understanding the game," he pointed out.
Floyd believes the NFL is more challenging than college.
"You see a couple of different looks. You are playing the best players. You have to be at the top of your game. In college, the coaches don't stress the details as much as in the NFL."
In addition to being a free safety, Floyd also may get a chance to play special teams.
"I played special teams in the preseason on the kickoff and punt teams, but I probably won't be returning kicks, just blocking or tackling," he said.
kovach@vindy.com