In the second year of his NFL career, former LSU defensive tackle Drake Nevis is still learning how to be a pro.
“It’s something that you can never master,” Nevis said. “You approach it with a learning mentality every day.”
Nevis was a four-year contributor for the Tigers, but he truly burst on to the scene as an upperclassman, registering 106 tackles, 24 of them for loss, and 10 sacks in his final two seasons. He forced three fumbles as a senior and was named an All-American by four outlets.
His dominance caught the eye of the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him in the third round of 2011 NFL Draft with the No. 87 pick. He looked promising in the early go, racking up 16 tackles through his first four professional football games.
But when he fell on his tailbone in the Colts’ Week 4 match up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his rookie campaign was halted. Nevis attempted a return, adding three tackles in the Colts’ contest with the Jacksonville Jaguars six games later, but that would be the only action he saw for the rest of the season.
The Colts put Nevis on injured reserve Dec. 6. He spent almost all of the season watching his team lose from the sideline, as the Colts didn’t win until Week 15, finishing 2-14.
“It was tough because it’s something you love,” Nevis said of the injury. “God has a plan, so I always stay with a focused mentality and stay positive.”
Indianapolis overhauled its organization during the offseason. Injured Colts legend Peyton Manning was spurned for the Second Coming, Andrew Luck. The Colts have relied on Luck heavily early on, attempting 76 passes in the first two weeks of the season for a 56.6 completion percentage.
“He’s a special player, you’ve just got to give him time,” Nevis said. “… He’s a good pro.”
The Colts also hired Chuck Pagano — who coordinated the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense in 2011 — as their new head coach, bringing with him a new 3-4 defensive scheme and a different team feel.
“It’s like a family. Everybody’s playing for each other,” Nevis said.
Now that he’s 100 percent healthy, Nevis is establishing himself in the rotation. He’s listed as the second defensive tackle on the Colts’ website and has four tackles so far through two games.
“It’s a process,” Nevis said. “Everybody’s good in the National Football League, so that’s something everybody should expect, a tough challenge every play.”
He said his time at LSU was a blessing, teaching him that nothing comes easy. The competition in the Southeastern Conference prepared him for the next level, he said.
Nevis’s impact is still felt on LSU’s defensive line. Tackle Bennie Logan said he took his cues from Nevis as a young Tiger, learning how to practice, study and credit God.
“The mindset he installed, it helped me to learn and be able to be successful in my college career,” Logan said.
Logan said he talked to Nevis prior to LSU’s game against Idaho on Saturday.
“The thing he always tells me, you don’t want to get comfortable where you’re at,” Logan said. “You always want to strive to get better, and that’s what really motivates me to keep working hard.”
