Latest news with #Walley
Indianapolis Star
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How Colts rookie Justin Walley can become the player Lou Anarumo has been asking for
INDIANAPOLIS -- Justin Walley knew he was a wildcard in this year's NFL Draft. A cornerback from the Big Ten Conference with 42 career starts who could run a 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds typically goes high. But one who would work out in a cast and measured less than 5-foot-11 might not. He figured he could go anywhere between the second and sixth rounds. Most teams need cornerbacks, especially one who can play inside or outside. But the Colts were not the most obvious fit -- not with a Pro Bowler in Kenny Moore II manning the nickel, with Jaylon Jones as the breakout seventh-round pick at outside cornerback, with All-Pro Charvarius Ward here to man the other outside spot and with more obvious starting needs elsewhere. So, the fact that they took Walley at No. 80 overall in the third round told him something. "It means a lot," Walley said. "We have a lot of guys in the room who have a lot of experience. A lot of good players in the room. To still decide to take me in the third round is a blessing. To have the mind to know they think that much of me will help me out a lot." But what was not the most obvious fit did turn out to be perhaps the most natural. Walley's family erupted with him at the news. Soon, he was viewing a text from a cousin named Donte Moncrief, who was also drafted by the Colts in the third round back in 2014 and caught 152 passes and 18 touchdowns while playing primarily with Andrew Luck. Members of his family just broke out the Colts gear they used to wear during Moncrief's games. And time has since shown him glimpses into why Indianapolis drafted this cornerback who didn't seem to fit its pressing needs or what it typically drafts at the position. Whereas the Colts spent last season hoping and praying they wouldn't run out of playable cornerbacks, the approach has flipped on its head under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. "It's been a matchup league," Anarumo said. "Certainly, if the offense puts out a certain personnel group, you want to be able to match up with what they're doing. Especially on third down. The days, to me, of putting linebackers on tight ends is not ideal for the defense. "So, you always want to get a bigger, longer athlete that maybe can run a little bit DB mindset. So more DBs out there in pure passing situations I think is something that we've always tried to do and will continue to do.' GO DEEPER: Tyler Warren, trench warfare and some curveballs: How Colts' 2025 draft class came to be. The Walley selection, combined with the choice to not draft a linebacker with any of their eight picks, highlights this shift in mentality. Whereas former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley mixed base and nickel defenses and played cornerbacks to a physical archetype to either press on the outside or live in the slot for heavy doses of Cover-3, Anarumo has a more diverse and less stringent system. It's the same system he rode to two AFC Championship Game appearances, where his group stymied Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen by mixing pre- and post-snap pictures based on what this high number of diverse skill sets could do. Anarumo became available this offseason after he lost some of the players who made that secondary hum such as All-Pro safety Jessie Bates and cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie, and his Bengals defense fell apart even with NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson. For the Colts, signing Ward and Camryn Bynum to premium free agent deals were the first steps in finding solutions here. Drafting Walley was the next. "Really it's the ability to play man and the ability to tackle," assistant general manager Ed Dodds said. "You're going to see more man defense, and (Walley) can do that. We played a lot more Cover-3 before; those guys had people underneath them helping them. You're just going to see a lot more man defense. "We may line up with four corners, we may line up at three – a lot more multiple as far as personnel groups.' Still, outlining where exactly Walley will play as a rookie is challenging. Ward and Moore have positions locked down, and Jones has solidified himself as a durable No. 2 option. Walley offers an inverted skill set to Jones, so it's possible he could see reps in certain matchups on the outside. But he'll also compete with 2023 second-round pick JuJu Brents for the No. 3 outside role. That's where the dime packages offer some options, as does the chance to back up Moore in the slot. It'll be a learning year nonetheless. And that's where learning from Moore made this a fit that made more sense than it initially appeared. "Kenny is one of the guys I grew up watching. I modeled my game after him," Walley said. "There aren't too many guys under 5-10 in the league, and he's one who is sticking. If you're sticking in the league for a long time, you do something right. Then you watch his tape, and he's doing a lot of things right. So I'm excited to pick his brain and see what he knows and see if he can teach me a couple things. "Hopefully he doesn't get too tired of me."
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts' early-round draft pick named among 'biggest reaches' by PFF
Indianapolis Colts' early-round draft pick named among 'biggest reaches' by PFF One of the Indianapolis Colts' early-round selections was named one of the "biggest reaches" in this year's NFL draft by PFF. One of the Indianapolis Colts' early-round selections was named one of the "biggest reaches" in this year's NFL draft by Pro Football Focus. Among the seven Day 2 draft picks that were determined to be reaches by PFF was the Colts' third-round pick that they used on Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley. With Walley being ranked 194th on the consensus big board and the Colts picking him at 80th overall, that difference of 114 spots was the third-largest of all Day 2 selections. "While his raw stats from 2024 look very good (41.8% completion rate allowed, 57.8 passer rating allowed), Walley lacks strength, which shows up in a high number of missed tackles," wrote PFF. "If he can get strong at the next level, he can develop into a solid player, but his ceiling might be capped." Walley is a bit undersized, and as PFF notes, missed tackles were an issue. However, his experience, playing almost 2,400 career snaps, his willingness to compete, speed, and versatility are all reasons that Indianapolis wanted to draft him. During the pre-draft process, Walley would run a 4.4-second 40 and was very stingy in coverage during his final season, allowing a completion rate of only 41.8%, while having strong ball production over his final two years, which included three interceptions and 10 pass breakups. Walley, who spent most of his snaps on the boundary, is also someone the Colts view as a nickel defender as well, potentially allowing him to be the backup behind Kenny Moore. 'Besides the (smaller) size, he plays the game the way we want him to play," said Colts' area scout Tyler Hughes via the Indy Star. "Smart, tough, instinctive, takes the ball away. He's going to come up in the run game and fill the hole when he's trying to tackle. Overall, he's a complete player, aside from the size, and then the character on top of it.' Attempting to determine if a draft pick was a reach or not all goes back to the value placed on a prospect. However, value is relative. How the outside world views a player isn't going to always align with how an NFL team does. Even from team to team, depending on the schematic fit, value can change. For the Colts in this new Lou Anarumo defense, they see someone who has the speed to operate in man coverage and some ball skills to go with it. In addition to that, versatility in this disguise-heavy scheme is valuable. And Walley will further add some competitiveness to the team as well. "I don't care where everybody thinks they're going to go – I don't," GM Chris Ballard said via the team site. "We grade them and we take them. We think he's got a chance to be a really good starting corner in this league.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New sandwich shop opens in Howland
HOWLAND, Ohio (WKBN) – A new sandwich shop opened in Howland Tuesday. Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is doing business at 2484 Niles Cortland Road. This is the second location for owner Amber Walley. The other shop is in Canfield, and she plans to open more in Northeast Ohio. Walley is originally from Trumbull County and was recently named Franchisee of the Year with Capriotti's. Brandy Johanntges contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' 2025 third round pick CB Justin Walley
Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' 2025 third round pick CB Justin Walley In the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Minnesota CB Justin Walley. Let's break it down. Justin Walley was drafted in round 3 pick 80 in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 5.97 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1113 out of 2761 CB from 1987 to 2025. — Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 26, 2025 In the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley. Let's break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below. Justin Walley profile Height: 5-10 Weight: 190 Age: 22 College profile Breaking down the Indianapolis Colts' pick Walley is a bit undersized, but has blazing speed, running a 4.40 during the pre-draft process. One thing we've also heard about him from GM Chris Ballard and others is that he worked out at the NFL combine despite having a cast on his wrist, and the Colts very much took notice. On the field, Walley is an experienced player, with nearly 2,400 career snaps on defense over four seasons at Minnesota. He's been stingy in coverage, allowing a completion rate of just 42% this past season and 57% the year prior, and has good ball production to pair with that, totaling three interceptions and 10 pass breakups over the last two years. Walley was primarily a boundary cornerback in college, but the Colts view him as someone who can play the nickel as well, which could make him the primary backup behind Kenny Moore for that role. Given the state of the overall roster, I'm not sure how many had cornerback on their radar as a top 100 selection for the Colts, but his speed, versatility, and play style have the Colts believing he can be a really good fit for Lou Anarumo's ever-evolving scheme. Justin Walley's scouting report Lance Zierlein: "Highly experienced cornerback with good size, speed and ball production. Walley has good mirror-and-match footwork in the early stages of the route but needs to trust his technique instead of using his hands in coverage so often. He keeps close tabs on quarterbacks and pounces on short throws with authority. He's irritating at the catch point but can be bodied by big targets. He's willing in run support but will need to improve his finishing against bigger runners. Walley played an overwhelming majority of his snaps outside, but he could be destined to slide inside due to a lack of length." They said it Tyler Hughes, area scout: 'You're going to get some versatility with him," Hughes said via Indy Star. "He's smart, competitive, tough, instinctive. I think he showcased that throughout his entire career, went up against some good receivers in his Big Ten career, and then he goes to the Combine, and performing everything with the cast on, you don't see that. It's not common nowadays. It shows you what type of player he is. 'Besides the (smaller) size, he plays the game the way we want him to play. Smart, tough, instinctive, takes the ball away. He's going to come up in the run game and fill the hole when he's trying to tackle. Overall, he's a complete player, aside from the size, and then the character on top of it.' Justin Walley's athletic profile
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Not everyone was Paul Revere': Mass. historians reimagine America's founding tale
Related : Advertisement These overlooked perspectives — included in the museum's ' 'Not everyone was Advertisement A more inclusive accounting of Massachusetts history is a massive undertaking in the current moment, local historians acknowledge. They are taking the charge when public history funding is scarce, the sector lacks few diverse perspectives, and mentions of The Trump administration's canceling of millions of Against these odds, though, 'this is really the time to hook people,' Folsom said. Governor The state closed a second, $2 million grant cycle for organizations marking the But the programming has drawn some Advertisement 'An important focus for us from the start has been on telling the untold stories and spotlighting underrepresented voices from the Revolution,' the spokesperson said in a statement. That focus includes 'Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free Black communities, and women,' along with cities and towns that aren't usually included in Revolutionary War-related tourism. Fifty years ago, or even a few years ago, Independence Day revelers might have heard a different Revolutionary War story. Globe coverage from America's bicentennial captures celebrations centered around figures such as George Washington, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson. Protests from Black and Indigenous groups about these figures' owning of people, and genocide of Native tribes, respectively, were mentioned in mainstream media, albeit briefly. Brian Boyles, executive director of MassHumanities, sits on the state's commemoration commission and co-chairs MassHumanities has allocated at least $600,000 toward ' Boyles said the nonprofit realized that philanthropic initiatives for more diverse public history isn't enough. Historians must also ensure their money will ensure that marginalized communities are shaping the stories visitors hear. 'Expertise lives in a lot of different ways and communities,' Boyles said. Also broadening the Revolutionary War's narrative are exhibits such as ' Advertisement The item, with its endless pattern of circles and focus on King Philip's War, 'serves as a touchstone to multiple stories' of the past, present, and future, Walley said. Related : Walley sees Concord Museum as a potential model for museums reckoning with their outdated interpretations of the nation's founding. It is using its privilege, Walley said, as an institution with extensive collections and funding to center voices such as hers. 'It's not like they're the only museum that's doing good things,' Walley said, but there are many museums that haven't even started improving. As the demand for more inclusive histories grows, community-bred, public historians such as Joel Mackall are in high demand. For years, he has led walking tours of Black history around Greater Boston, mostly among Black people like him. But recently, he has received several inquiries from outside the community to give tours, lectures, and speeches. The surge in popularity is something he's still getting used to, but at times, he feels he can't be as candid about America's problems with race. 'We always have to tone down or reshape our suffering" to ensure some audiences don't feel uncomfortable, Mackall said. 'It's a lot.' At popular Revolutionary War sites such as the Old State House in downtown Boston, historians don't shy away from the political aftershocks of violent protest. This touchy subject is fleshed out in the ' Advertisement But when it comes to race, things get tricky, said Nat Sheidley, CEO of Revolutionary Spaces, the nonprofit managing the landmark. 'It's dangerous, it's hard to create a space you can't control,' Sheidley said. 'You put other people at risk by inviting them to be in dialogue with it.' Joe Palumbo, a Concord native and historian, believes that learning a more complete story will benefit everyone. The state recently awarded the town a $25,000 grant for a project related to the 250th commemoration, which includes Palumbo's tours that highlight the different sites shaped by patriots of color. Take the Across the street from the famous span, there is The Robbins House. Its namesake, Caesar Robbins, was born into slavery in Chelmsford and fought in two wars. At 16, he served in the French and Indian War, and his enslaver received his wages. In his early 30s, he fought in the Revolutionary War and gained his freedom. He served at both Dorchester Heights and Fort Ticonderoga. And these are just two stories. For Palumbo, inclusion in the story of the town, and the nation, matters. 'The country was really built by everybody,' he said. Danny McDonald of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Tiana Woodard can be reached at
