Ballard is https://www.coltsfanshop.com , it’s the acquisition of guard Quenton Nelson. The Colts drafted Nelson in the first round of the 2018 draft and he came out swinging..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:Colts NewsA Birthday Tribute to Quenton Nelson New,20commentsEDTShareTweetShareShareA Birthday Tribute to Quenton Nelson Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsIf there’s any testament to how smart Chris Ballard is, it’s the acquisition of guard Quenton Nelson. The Colts drafted Nelson in the first round of the 2018 draft and he came out swinging immediately. Andrew Luck was one of the most protected quarterbacks in the league in 2018, thanks to the firing squad known as Indy’s offensive line. An absolute monster in pass protection, Nelson led the team in pass-blocking grade and allowed just 23 pressures on 730 pass-blocking snaps. “There’s so many things to love about him,” head coach Frank Reich told Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager. “He’s always striving to get better. It’s contagious in our locker room. If you wanna see how to finish blocks, just watch him play.” Nelson’s rookie campaign left Colts fans with a lot of hope for the future. He became the first guard to be awarded Rookie of the Month in October. Pro Football Focus nominated him as a top tier offensive lineman. He appeared in the Pro Bowl AND went First-Team-All-Pro. This guy is the real deal. In spirit of Nelson’s birthday today, I’ve rounded up five of his best moments in 2018. 5. Nelson vs. Cincinnati’s Geno Atkins 4. Nelson vs. Washington’s Pernell McPhee 3. Nelson vs. Tennessee’s Kevin Byard 2. Nelson vs. Jacksonville’s Barry Church 1.Nelson v. Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney Honorable mention: Quenton Nelson as Cardi B Happy birthday, Big Q. Colts Nation is proud to have you on our team. Until about a month ago, Rock Ya-Sin was not a household name. It is now, at least in Colts territory. The Indianapolis Colts selected the cornerback in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft,..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesStampede Blue homepageHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityFollow Stampede Blue online:Follow Stampede Blue on TwitterFollow Stampede Blue on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchStampede Blue main menuFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Breaking NewsAndrew Luck Retires×Rookie Report: Rock Ya-Sin New,13commentsEDTUntil about a month ago Indianapolis Colts Customized Jerseys , Rock Ya-Sin was not a household name. It is now, at least in Colts territory. The Indianapolis Colts selected the cornerback in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and many Colts fans, including myself, were wondering who this guy even is. But let’s face it, Chris Ballard knows what he’s doing. He’s been on the hunt for multi-faceted players that will bring competitiveness and leadership to the field and the locker room. “He was outstanding at the Senior Bowl and he was great all year,” Ballard said of Ya-Sin. “Then you stack on his character, his competitiveness, his will to win, it just fit us. I kept telling our guys, ‘Look, we move and we pass this guy that we love and we don’t get him, we are going to be regretting it.’ So Indianapolis Colts T-Shirts , at the end of the day we end up picking a guy we loved.”Ya-Sin attended Southwest DeKalb High School in Atlanta, Georgia and began his high school career as a wrestler, and a two-time state champion at that. It wasn’t until his junior year that he began playing football. In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ya-Sin explained how his wrestling background helped translate onto the football field. “Just the competitive nature of going out there and going against a guy,” he said. “There are not excuses. You can’t blame it on anybody: win, lose or draw. It’s you versus another man.”Ya-Sin played 11 games at South Carolina’s Presbyterian College as a true freshman with two starts, 15 tackles and two pass breakups. In his sophomore campaign he started 11 games for 31 tackles (two for loss) and nine pass breakups. In 2017 he became a First-Team All Big South player with 45 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups. Next came a transfer to Temple University in 2018 where he led the team with 47 tackles, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions. He was selected to the First Team All-American Athletic conference in his senior year. Ya-Sin’s college coach, Geoff Collins, has nothing but good things to say about his former player. “He’s tough, tenacious, competitive https://www.coltsfanshop.com/hats , relentless, every adjective you could use, is embodied in Rock Ya-Sin,” Collins said. “He’s amazing.” Mike Derice, an area scout for the Colts, recently discussed the scouting process of Ya-Sin on Colts.com.Derice noted that Ya-Sin’s enthusiasm, drive and diligence are among the many reasons why the Colts drafted him. When asked how tough it is to play just a year of Division I football and end up as a second round draft pick, Derice said, “That’s a testimony to his hard work. He came in there and felt like he belonged, and he planned on out-working everyone, and he’s gonna try to do the same thing when he gets here.”Ya-Sin has spent the majority of his career playing in man-to-man coverage, but said he feels comfortable in zone as well. He’s able to move his feet quickly, flip his hips and get downfield in a hurry. During the Senior Bowl Indianapolis Colts Hoodie , scouts were able to see some of the zone techniques he lacked during the 2018 season. “I think you can see the progression of his technique as the season went on,” Derice said. “So you know that he’s feeling better about what he’s being taught and at the Senior Bowl he just put it all together, and it was good to see him learn different techniques and actually apply it.” OTA’s allowed Ya-Sin to showcase his skill-set and coaches were clearly impressed with his toughness. Though Ballard expressed he still has some technique to work on, he’s convinced this pick will pay off in the 2019 season. “I’ll tell you the things he is going to have to work on is his zone coverage because he hasn’t done a lot of it,” Ballard said. “But he’s physical. He’s tough. He’s got ball skills. He’s got instincts. He’s got all the traits we look for. He’s got size and he’s got good speed. So we think he’s got all the makings of being a really good corner in this scheme.” Ya-Sin is the perfect fit with the way the Colts run their defense. I watched a lot of film of his from Temple and one aspect that really stood out was his ability to stick to receivers. His speed benefits his capability to get downfield and find the football and his length aids in being able to get in the air and bat the ball away from receivers. He also shows willingness to tackle in the run and sets a tone of physicality. What I like most about Ya-Sin, though, is his sheer will to win. He’s expressed that he has and will work harder than anyone else on the field, and is a great competitor. I’m eager to see how he fares against some of the better offenses in the NFL, as he’ll most certainly be a problem for a lot of teams the Colts face this season.