Source: Michael Owens / Getty
Last season, linebacker E.J. Speed filled in for Shaquille Leonard while he was recovering from ankle surgery. This season, his role has diminished, but Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley says he makes plays 90% of the time he’s in there.
Speed, 28, was a fifth-round pick for the Colts out of Tarleton State in the 2019 NFL Draft. Just two rounds earlier, Chris Ballard selected former Stanford linebacker Bobby Okereke.
On Wednesday’s Query & Company, E.J. Speed joined Jake Query and Jimmy Cook. He revealed how important Okereke was to him becoming a professional football player.
“He was more of a film guy. He was more like route reading and all that type stuff. Playing at Stanford demanded that from those guys. I just noticed that he was doing it and then Anthony Walker was doing it. I was like look, maybe that’s the key. I start getting heavy into my playbook and studying and then I found ways that work for me based on them pushing me to be that guy.”
Over six months ago, E.J. Speed signed a two-year extension worth eight-million dollars. The $4.5M that Speed is earning this year could be a total bargain if he continues to make plays.
Other topics that the Colts linebacker discussed with Jake and Jimmy were:
- What defensive packages he plays in
- How important the retention of Gus Bradley was to his development
- The relationship between Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson
To listen to Jake Query and Jimmy Cook’s conversation with E.J. Speed, download the podcast containing the conversation below! You can always listen to the Query & Company from 12pm-3pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. You can also watch and interact with the show by going to the 107.5 The Fan YouTube Channel.
