Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' Laiatu Latu Interview: 'We Got Our Leader Back' in DeForest Buckner

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

Indianapolis Colts rookie first-round pick DE Laiatu Latu held a food drive at Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis this week in partnership with Campbell's Chunky Soup. He discussed what's behind the charitable initiative and how he's acclimated to the Indianapolis community. Latu also discussed how his rookie season is going, the next steps for him to turn pressures into more sacks, and how he views his support system in Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and DeForest Buckner. Become a Locked On Colts insider! Ask your burning questions and get prompt answers from someone who's around the team every day! Get special access from the locker room, practice field, and press box! JOIN HERE! Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/ Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram!

All right, Colts fans, we have got Indianapolis Colts star first round rookie Liatu Latu joining us today. Welcome to the show, Liatu. First time you've been on here. Yes, sir. Appreciate y'all for having me. Yeah, absolutely. So we are here to talk first about this Campbell's Chunky Soup, their Chunky Sacks Hunger campaign. You've got an event going on in Indy today. Why don't you tell us a little bit about that? Well, I mean, sure. We're here at Gleaners. Got to take a tour and help out and volunteer with getting food out to people that need it around

Indiana. But I mean, more importantly, for every sack that I make on the field, a thousand meals gets to be donated around the country. It's a pretty big deal. That's awesome because I know Zaire is doing some donations for every tackle he's got.

So it looks like you guys have some really good competition going on that's benefiting people. So, you know, speaking of things locally, I'm watching the Indiana game the other day. You know, it's obviously a big deal here. And the name Latu flashes up. And I remember, you know, from your opening press conference there, your brother plays for Washington. I'm like, oh, Altu's brother can ball all right now. Yeah, he can. He's like 6'8", 250, 260 now, tight end, and can run pretty smooth. And, like, his blocking is grade A for sure.

Oh, yeah. No, he's a baller. Again, I knew he was on there, but he's turning some heads now. Yeah, I appreciate that. Again, I knew he was on there, but he's turning some heads now. But yeah, yeah. But speaking of some things that are, you know, continuing going on locally, you've obviously got this community event going on today. You know, you're a kid from out on the West Coast, and I'm sure everything's been a bit of a whirlwind since you got drafted. But how have you acclimated to being here in Indy so far? I mean, sure. I feel like I've adapted pretty well.

You know, my neighbors are super nice. They look after me. And then everyone around Indy is pretty, like, you know, nice around here. So it makes it a lot easier. And, you know, I like the slow. Like, you know, it's not like fast like, you know, L.A. or anywhere in Cali, to be honest. So, you know, I feel like I've adapted really well.

Awesome. Awesome. And, you know be honest. So, you know, I feel like I've adapted really well. Awesome. Awesome. And, you know, talking about adapted, you know, you guys have had to adapt a lot on the defensive line this year to not having superstar player DeForest Buckner. He gets back out there this weekend, and the defensive line goes crazy. All of you guys get a piece of the pie and really get after C.J. Stroud. I mean, what was it like for you guys to get a player like DeForest Buckner back this weekend?

I mean, shoot, we got, you know, a leader back and somebody who, you know, he's going to go out there and make plays. So, and someone that, you know, a lot of us look up to as well. So, you know, that definitely, you know, drove us that, you know, that day. Yeah. Yeah. And you obviously, we're big coach ed guys. We've known him for a while.

He's been on the show a few times. Yeah. He's got the whole group of you out there. So what's that been like? Again, coming from Cali to Indy, but you've got some familiarity with Quitty. I mean, I know Samson's been injured, but he's back in there. I saw him in the facility the other day. So you've kind of got a support system.

What's that been like to help you grow as a young player? So I feel like if I didn't have that, I'd be going through a way tougher time, you know, on my own, but you know, that I have them, I could reach out to, you know,

I'd be kicking it with dial quitty at times just cause, you know, I knew them before with training with them, but you know, and all the like, Oh geez, I've been kind of like, you know,

big, like big brothers to me in a sense. So, I mean, everybody looks out for each other and, you know, they make it, you know,

make it real easy, you know, being out here for my first time. Yeah. Yeah. And what's the competition like between you guys when you're out there, like in Cali or even in the games, you know, when you're competing for sacks and I know you guys are teammates at the end of the day, but like, you want to get yours when you're out there.

Like what's that kind of competition like with those guys? I mean, sure. We trying to beat each other, you know, to the quarterback, you know, every, you know, pass snap that we get. And when, when somebody, you know, wins, everybody's like other you know to the quarterback you know every you know pass snap that we get and when when somebody you know wins everybody's like you know what'd you do what'd you do what'd you hit him with like what move did you do so like everyone's kind of like trying to you know take a piece of everybody and trying to hit the same thing in the game and trying to work off each other so definitely competitive yeah and you your your pass rush numbers are really productive you know the pressures the the hits all that's there uh only have two official sacks so far i feel like a lot of you guys meet at the ball so there's you know half sacks that get shared and everything but

you've you've made a lot of quarterbacks uncomfortable what's that next step for the official sack numbers that come in and not just pressure so far? Really, I mean, I feel like I've worked like pretty good off Tunsil this week and got to build off my rubber spar and, you know, kind of get a better understanding of rushing too. So I feel like, you know, that's just going to elevate me for this next game. Yeah, yeah, for sure. And one thing that really pops when you watch your film is, you know, most pass rushers, they have that one go to move. And I'm watching your film. It's like, oh, here comes the cross chop here. It's coming right here. He's coming off the edge, that cross chop. That's just so nasty. And you've had it since college and stuff like that. When did you really start getting, you know, that move and these other

moves kind of in your bag to where, you know, you're comfortable whipping it out, like, you know, most, mostly time in the game. Yeah. I mean, shoot, that came from like just college and being able to work it like repetitively, you over and over and then still working on it in the league so it's you know just going to keep on getting better and i'm understanding you know when to when to throw it out there and what what packages and what fronts you know i can throw it so you know it's all coming together yeah yeah yeah we know you're a football junkie, always working, always studying. So last time I talked to Ed, he he he said he doesn't really like to compare people. But he said you and T.J. Watt are very similar in how you move and everything. You guys obviously played the Steelers. Did you get to pick his brain at all after the game?

Or what was it at least like seeing him so up close and personal? No, it was it was pretty crazy. I mean, I watched him probably every time that he was out there and just his rushes and, you know, the way he switches his, his stances and stuff like that. And when he's hitting his move, you know, off which leg, cause you know, I usually go inside foot back, but, you know, I'm trying to like figure out, you know, how he does it and stuff like that and being able to watch it, you know, so, you know, up close is pretty crazy. Yeah for sure and something cool with with this colts defensive front even your your defensive front at ucla is just how versatile you are when

it comes to i mean you'll you'll be mugging the a gap on some of these third downs you'll be out that wide nine a lot you'll be coming in at the b gap like is that something you think like the coaches kind of adapt to you or or is it just like, hey, I fit this role that you guys need right here and I'm comfortable rushing everywhere? I mean, it's definitely I fit that role that they need because, you know, something that they've been trying to, you know, get together for a while now and create those packages. So I feel like it's definitely a role that I've just, you know, fit into kind of, you know, perfectly being able to because I can can rush from you know the inside and outside and then being able to you know try to show a blitz here get them to slide this way and then you know i can still drop and stuff like that too so i feel like you know it's kind of like a perfect place for me to play yeah yeah and you know we saw this past week you know i don't want to get into any game plan specifics or anything but with the amount of pressures that were being brought

in this past game with you i mean you were all over the place. You even had a couple coverage snaps in this one. When's the first interception coming? Like, that's the real thing. That's really coming. I mean, on third down early in the game, you're dropping into the flat, and they threw it close to you there. I wanted to bite on it, but, I mean, I take the cheese. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and so, obviously, this is a very interesting business. The Colts, a little news today, made the move going to Joe from Anthony. I mean, you're a rookie, but at the end of the day, everyone is equal once that helmet comes on. A move like this that's important that trying to win now as a member of that locker room, what kind of message has that sent to you shoot i didn't i didn't hear anything of that honestly so i feel i can't even speak on that but i mean whoever's whoever's my quarterback you know i'm gonna look up to that person as a leader and try to you know follow in that light yeah yeah

you know we kind of talked about it earlier you know when you talked about deforest buckner but speaking of leaders on the defense you know two guys on the interior grover stewart deforest buckner guys who've been here and done it for so long i mean even quitty pay on the other side too like he's done it now for years like when when you're kind of in this first year like how much are you leaning on those guys for just picking their brains as pass rushers picking their brains as veterans in the league like how much you're really leaning on those guys? So I lean on them more than the coaches, honestly. I mean, those are guys that, you know, do it consistently. They've been doing it for years now.

And, you know, whatever they say, like I'm going to, you know, believe it with all my heart and, you know, try and, you know, go out there and work off of what they told me. But, I mean, I look up to those guys, you know, in a major way. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. All right, Latu. Thanks again. Again, he is teaming up with Campbell's Chunky Soup for the Chunky Sex Hunger Campaign.

Thanks so much for joining us today, and good luck this Sunday night. Thank you guys very much. Appreciate it. Thanks.