April 17, 2025 • 25 mins
JJ Stankevitz sits down for a conversation with Colts linebackers coach James Bettcher, who looked back on his first NFL job – which was on Chuck Pagano's coaching staff in 2012 with the Colts – and what's changed in Indianapolis since his first time here. Bettcher also explains what makes Lou Anarumo one of the most-respective defensive coordinators in the NFL and what his vision is for the Colts' linebacker room in 2025.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, Colts fans, I'm JJ Stankavitz and welcome into another
episode of The Colts Show in Indianapolis. Colts Podcast Get
us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, on YouTube. We love hearing
all the feedback we got from the first show on
YouTube on social media. Thanks to everyone who watched that
with Chris Ballard and Shane Stike and check it out
if you haven't already, be sure to check out the
(00:27):
first two episodes A High Volume with Jeffrey Gorman as well.
Those are in your feeds and on YouTube as well.
Coming up on today's episode, I had a chance to
sit down with Colts linebackers coach James Betcher, and I
gotta tell you, like, my favorite people to talk to
in a building in a football building are usually the
assistant coaches because they have such a wealth of experience
(00:50):
and moments that they've had during their careers. And talking
to James, we started off talking about him being a
first time NFL coach in a room where he's got
to provide information to Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. In
twenty twelve, when James Becher was here as the Colts
outside linebackers coach, We got into a lot in this
(01:11):
a lot of stuff about the twenty twelve season. Really interesting,
his perspective on that very special year here in Indianapolis
with Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians obviously, and also if you
missed that episode of High Volume with Jeffrey Gorman with
Bruce Arians, that was the debut episode came out last week.
We also talked a little bit about his experience with
lou Anarumo, and then we had a really great conversation
(01:32):
about just a linebacker play in twenty twenty five where
I brought up a moment from a Bears game in
twenty nineteen when he used to cover the Bears that
he was like, oh yeah, I got that one on film.
A really good conversation with linebackers coach James Betcher. Go
check it out.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Right after this, the Colts are heading to Berlin. Come
join us in Germany this upcoming season by securing your
priority access to the official Colts Germany taket and travel packages,
which are available now through on location at Colts dot
com Slash International. On Location's ticket packages include end to
(02:09):
end planning with round trip airfare, guided tours, premium seating
options and world class hospitality service so you can make
the most out of your trip to see the Colts
abroad in Berlin. For more information, go to Colts dot
com slash international. Is your local high school signed up
to have a girls flag football team? The Ursa Family
(02:31):
and the Indianapolis Colts are committed to growing the game
of flag football, with the goal of having one hundred
Indiana high schools launch a girls flag football team by
fall of twenty twenty five. The first one hundred schools
to commit will receive a support package from the Colts
valued at ten thousand dollars, and we're already up to
(02:52):
over fifty schools committed. Go to Colts dot com slash
Girls Flag for more information and to fill out an
interest reply form. Joining me here on the Colt Show
is Colts linebackers coach James Betcher. You got my text
about what to wear, so thank you appreciate it. Just
one to match, yep. I mean it looks great obviously
(03:13):
to what they say. I mean, we get so much
free gear, like from the team that's all branded, so
inevitably this is going to happen at some point. I'm
glad that on our second episode with one of our
first guests we've had on the show. We're matching here
on set. I was talking to you before we started
recording about the first year you were here. So you
(03:34):
were here in twenty twelve, as I believe, as a
special assistant to Chuck Pagano. You're out coaching outside linebackers
and that was your first NFL job. Yeah, you were
in a room with a Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney,
Robert mathis a guy who, for my money, should be
in the Hall of Fame, Jerry Hughes, he was a
first dround pick, A couple other guys had some success
(03:54):
in the NFL. What did they teach you from like
day one about coaching in the NFL and what the
highest of high level football players need out of their
position coach.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I totally remember the very first meeting were installing quarters coverage.
And you have Robert and Dwight, who had been like
four to three defensive ends rushing off the edge, wrecking games,
hands and dirt for years, and we were in this
process of you know, building like more of a hybrid
style defense at the time, and Robert actually wanted to
(04:29):
call our meeting room the hybrids. He didn't want to
be called an outside linebacker. He woulded to be called
a hybrid because he felt like that just better dictated
who he was.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And I love that about him.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
But I'm sitting there, I'm installing the coverage, and I
look down and I think it was that moment I'm like,
these dudes are right notes like I got Robert math
is listening to me, Dwight's listening to me, Jerry's up
there like they're writing notes.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So I must have something of value to add in.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
But I think having a room like that as a
first time anything and being around elite players and the
process that elite players have, it's how you grow and
if you're you know, we talk about it in every
position room I've ever had. As a coordinator in this league,
I've talked about it to our players. Is like maximizing
your moment. It's no different as a coach, like wherever
(05:17):
you're at, have your feet on the ground, be dialed in.
There's something you can get out of whatever you're in.
I remember I was a graduate assistant at the University
of North Carolina and I'd went up and visited Chuck
Pagana when he was coaching at the Ravens, and so
I had a chance to sit in the linebacker meeting room,
and in that linebacker room was none other than none
(05:37):
other than one of the greatest of all time, Ray Lewis.
So Ray's sitting there and he's just taken and this
is like year twelve or something for him, and he's
just taking notes and taking notes. And you observe that,
you know, like he's had this install fifty times, maybe
one hundred times, and he's still taking notes on it.
And that was Robert, that was Dwyightey, that was Jerry,
(06:00):
that was the work ethic. And I think that just
tells you your preparation being in the moment wherever you're at,
maximizing whatever you can get out of whatever you're doing.
And you learn from that and you share that message on.
You could go to Cincinnati and talk to Logan and
Jermaine and would they would tell you about stories. I'd
(06:21):
tell them about working with Robert or working with Dwight
and being around elite players and what anate player looks like.
And because if we can share that with other players,
we can help them elevate their game.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean starting off with those two guys and rob
made the Pro Bowl that year in an incredible year.
As that year went on, though, you know, you talked
about that first meeting of like okay, they're taking notes,
like I must be here for a reason. As that
year went on, like how did your understanding of what
they needed sort of grow and develop over that year?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, I mean they had elite skill sets as rushers,
but what they had to develop and understand is where
they fit into the big picture of what we were
trying to do on defense. And that's what I know
that I could afford to them and give to them,
and so I could lean into that. Then on the
other side of things as rushers, as a coach, if
(07:15):
you're not learning from your players and how they learn
or what they're doing, or their fundamentals and techniques that
they already have inn use, it's crazy and you would
be crazy if you're not learning from that. And I
think that's where I grew was learning. You know, you're
when you're working the one hand, stab or Roberts like
dip speed rush, move on the edge, Like what are
(07:36):
you looking at pre snap? How do you know you're
trying to get to your third step or your fifth step,
or if you're flipping your feet and you're trying to
get to your second or fourth step, like when when
do you do that? And then those intricate details that
are everything, but they're super small and you're trying to
take those from them. That's what I'm trying to take
(07:56):
from them and trying to at the same time give
them something and you know, build trust and understanding and
a relationship.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Did you ever have a moment, I mean maybe outside
of that first time are you talking about like, oh,
you know, they're taking notes. Did you ever a moment
where it hit you that like, I really do I
belong here? I belong in the NFL? Or did do
you have to kind of operate with that mindset as
a first year NFL head coach to just fit in
in the building and be respected within the building.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I think in this league it is what have you
done for me lately?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Period?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And that's what it is for players, is what it
is for coaches. And we have to have something that
we provide every day in our jobs of value to
those that were around, and that is giving, not just taking.
And so I think that's just what was my mindset,
and that's kind of what that's kind of how I
(08:50):
was raised from a small town in northern Indiana and
my dad was a farmer, welder, mechanic. My mom worked
in a daughter's office, worked two jobs at night just
to try to, you know, take care of us. And
I'm the youngest of six and the first person in
my family go to college. So you're built with that
mentality of you gotta have your hand in the pile
and give something. You got to bring something to the table.
(09:12):
And I think early on in my career that's all
I ever did. When I was in college coach and
I was working myself up through the ranks to Saint
Frances the Bowling Green, to New Hampshire, to Ball State,
to the university, like all these different places. I think
that's what we learn along the way, is like we
need to provide something, and that is give to others
and serve others. And that's how one you build value
(09:34):
where you're at and two that's how you get you
get people to trust you, is because they feel and
see the genuine nature of what you're about.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Did you have much connection to the Colts before that
twenty twelve gig like, did you go, because I know
that they moved here when you were probably what like five.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah, I was super young when they moved here. Honestly,
I don't remember that. But here's what I know. Here's
my connection. My dad had the most gaudy blue Colts
sweatsuit of all time. It was complete blue and it
said Colts down that he was a huge Colts fan,
Colts down the right leg and it had like a
(10:12):
helmet logo in the middle with the shoot. I mean
it was. They were the bluest sweat sweatsuit ever. He
loved wearing that sweatsuit and he was a big fan.
I remember coming to my first game with him at
the RCIA Dome, sitting up in the end zone corner
with one of my good friends and his dad and
my dad. It was my first game I went to
(10:33):
with him. So, yeah, I had a connection with the
Colts before I came here. And that's you know, being
from Indiana. Certainly, what was the game you went to?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Do you remember?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
I don't really, I was. I was looking at that
the other day. I was like, what game was?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I actually texted my buddy that I was with Neil
Rush and he's, uh, He's like, man, I don't remember
what the game was either, but I remember where we
were sitting. I remember we went down to I think
it was called the the little indoor like it's used
to call it the train station downtown. We were walking
(11:05):
around and you know, we hadn't been to India a
lot of times, so it was all neat for.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Us, even in from the you know, when you're here
for a year and twelve to now where you're here
back thirteen years later, has anything like amazed you about
the growth of this city, about the growth of this
franchise within this city during that time.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah, I mean you walk around the building and you
see the things that are new that are different, from
the new cafeteria, to the weight room, to the expansion
of the training area, to how the meeting rooms have
been changed and constructed and really opened up. Certainly feel
that when you walk around the building, you feel different,
a completely different vibe from that standpoint that you know,
(11:44):
everything that has been going on here is to try
to move forward to progress. Then when you drive, you know,
we used to live, we lived in Zionsville.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
My wife.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
It was just my wife and I and our youngest
or excuse me, our oldest who was one at the time,
and we lived in the Zionsville area. We rented this
like a apartment up there, but we were driving around
when we first came over and started looking. It's unbelievable
how much things have grown. It's like, I think we
were as far north as you could go in Zionsville
are where for the most part, things were being built.
(12:13):
And now that's there's like, you know, another three miles
of homes, you know, north of where we live.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So it's it's pretty cool to see how things have changed.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
What's your best Bruce Arians story?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Best Bruce Arians story? The thing I always say about
Ba is this he was is still is because he
still pours into people. But he was an unbelievable developer
of those who are around him. When after, you know,
Chuck unfortunately got sick and Chuck was. They were so
(12:47):
similar in those ways. Chuck was the same type, is
the same type of person. He just he he pours
into people, and so Chuck gets sick, and so one
of my roles was just kind of helping Orger and eyes.
Our practice plans are scheduling what situational things we're gonna do,
what things at practice, we're gonna do my two minute standpoint.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I did that with Chuck a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Then I coach the outside linebackers, and so when Bruce
took over, those were things I started because I didn't
know Ba before he came here. Was that was my
first experience ever meeting him and he's like, you know,
he would say, hey, kid, come over here. I said, yes, sir,
and he's like, we're gonna watch all these two minutes together.
They're going to show the team. So I have the
(13:28):
cut up. I was getting ready and making I'm like, hey,
here's a good situation. We could show the team this today, this, this, this.
He's like, all right, yeah, you're gonna show it to him.
And we were five minutes from walking to the meeting.
I said, what are we What am I doing? He's like, no,
you're gonna show up him, explain all the situation offense defense,
what we'd be in on offense defense. Because he had
told me, hey, we'd be in this, this and this.
(13:49):
I'm writing notes down. He's like, I want you to
present it. I'm like okay. So then that became my thing,
and what he was doing was that's the game. The
game is like you got to be repaired, but like
it's going to happen, It's going to happen fast, and
how are you ready prepare for your moment? Then what
it is? You do what you know? So I went
in the meeting and presented it. It went well, and
(14:11):
those that's what I became. I became like the situational
master each week and he had me do that, and
he helped me grow and develop. And at first you
don't really you're just trying to get the job done.
But when you look back on it, the perspective you
have is, wow, how much I was able to grow
from having those opportunities to help, you know, ultimately coach
the team. And you appreciated that and I love that
(14:33):
about him. And that's what he did. He took me
to Arizona with him, and a year and a half
later he gives me an opportunity to be a coordinator
and the whole time I'm doing that, he's pouring into
me and he has ever since then.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
So be special that twenty twelve year where you know
you're brought in. You mentioned you met Chuck up in Baltimore,
you come here and that that whole year kind of
felt like everyone really just banding together. Yeah, where you know,
after he gets sick, you're talking about your role then
becomes this like what was the feeling like in the
(15:04):
building of everyone kind of all right, let let's do
it for Chuck. Let's do it for Chuck. Like what
was that like for you guys as coaches?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
You know, if you remember, Bruce had one of his
one of the offensive assistants by these this switch, these
little plastic pieces that held light switches in place, and
he left Chuck's light on and Chuck's light was never
turned off in his office, and he had this plastic
(15:30):
piece he put on the switch, so even when someone
came in to clean it after cleaning, they couldn't. No
one could ever turn his light off. And that was
our mentality. I don't think there'll ever be a team.
And Bruce talked about this to our team at the time.
It's like, the best teams are the teams that are
connected and galvanized, and our galvanized and our connection was
(15:53):
the cause for Chuck. And it was you know, our
team played for Chuck, and our team.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Played through that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
You know, you think of you know, Reggie's orange Glove
game to you know, draw powers in the Packers game
with the interception the second half that really flipped us
and got us going. We beat Jacksonville late, we beat
you know, Andrew leads us on the two minute. We
have the end of game in Detroit where I think
it's Vic jumps across the goal line at the very
end of the game. Like these are all goalt but
(16:23):
it's all galvanized on a cause. And when a team's
connected and they have a common cause, teams can be special.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
That's got to be a pretty cool lesson to look
back on from your first year at this level. And
you know you've been a part of some pretty good
teams obviously in Arizona, you know those you know in Cincinnati,
Like those lessons have to be kind of enduring of
that that you can present to players, to other coaches
over the coase of your coaching, of course, of your coaching.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Crek excuse me, Yeah, no, there's no doubt you're exactly
right with that.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
And that's that's what we do.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Is you know, like wherever you're at and your moment,
you're maximizing it by just being engaged, being there, being
the best you can be in that moment. Then you
take that and you stack that as part of who
you are and your identity, and you take and you
share that with other people and you give. And that
was kind of like what I was talking about with
like Logan or Jermaine, the two linebackers I had in Cincinnati.
(17:20):
I'm telling them stories, or I'm sitting talking with Fred
Warner and Arizona about like stories about players I've been
around or who he's been around, and we all grow
and we reciprocate that back and forth to each other.
And you do that with coaches too. You know, there's
a lot of coaches. I mean, you'd be crazy not
to just sit down and listen and hear. I think
I played for Kevin Donald, like the University of Saint
(17:41):
Francis and Fort Way, Indiana, and he said, just make
sure in this profession you just shut.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Up and listen.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
You know, just don't be afraid to shut up and
just be quiet and take it in and listen and
actually hear what people are telling you because it'll help
you grow and there'll be never another, you know, twenty twelve,
that's a year like that is special.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
It's a once in a lifetime thing.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
You know, you get around the coaches, you went through
that with the players, you went through that with, and
you have something that's common and obviously you know Chuck's
you know, it's like the Chuck Strong is coming up
here and that's that's pretty amazing. And it's just special,
you know, unfortunate but special at the same time to
have something like that that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
You're part of.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You talked about Cincinnati a little bit. What's something about
lou Anarrumo that maybe most people don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Most people don't know. I mean, he has an unbelievable energy.
Like like you, I think you would maybe think he's quiet,
you know, calm, but he is gonna coach guys hard.
He's going to demand and the guys are gonna love
playing for him because he's gonna build strong relationships with him.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
He's gonna respect their.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Opinions, but he's he's gonna be tough. And what the
product was and what he wanted the defense to be
was a defense that was gonna be tougher. You know,
we played in the AFC North and you had to
be tough to play in that division. And that's the
type of defenses he built, you know, And and ultimately
(19:10):
won a lot of games in Cincinnati because of the
type of defenses that him and the players had put
together over the years he was there. You know, he's
a great friend of mine. We've worked together at a couple
of places, and you know, I'm I'm lucky, and I
appreciate our friendship.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
With the way that he schemes things up. I mean,
I know players in since he called him a bad scientist,
and that is as a coach, how does that challenge
you when you might have to, you know, coach a
different scheme every week, a different technique every week, just
to fit it to the opponent that you're facing.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, I love it because that's what I'm all about.
And we you know, him and I that's that's why
we have such a great right. We see the game
so similar, and we see the needs of the game
and the needs of what we need to do on
defense to be offensive on defense.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And that's what he is.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
And and it's constructed though in a way that our
players don't have to learn new techniques every week.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
We teach scheme.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Then we plug those little intricate details and schemes and
techniques into big packages. So there's a lot of same
ads in the teaching. So you might have a technique
that you use in this call, but you're also going
to use in this call, and hey, this week, we're
going to do this, But that's just this technique that
you already know, and we have just a lot of
same ads. That way, we can build some complexity with
(20:30):
simplicity at the same time. And that's what's fun about
That's why the players love doing it. That's why they
call them a mad scientist because it's fun and they're
doing a lot of things, and you know, you get
to be a versatile player in this system. You get
to do different things, you get to present issues for
offenses in this system, and that's why it's a lot
(20:51):
of fun, a lot of fun to coach in. And
it'd be great and fun for our players to plan.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Where has the off ball linebacker position evolved your time
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
The game has changed so much. It used to be
big personnel groupings that made like big looking formations, and
now the game is they might be big personnel groupings
or small, but everything is space oriented and the game
is so space it's a space game and they try
to as the wider the field gets or the wider
the offense creates the field, the more space the linebackers
(21:23):
have to play in. And that is the biggest thing
over you know, the last five to ten years that
this league is is this the space play that you
have to be able to operate in? That's one and two.
Just as systems become you know, maybe the word is complex,
but have layers to them, the linebacker positions become more
(21:44):
and more of a quarterback. You know, just the mindset
of the player, how smart they have to be, how
able they have to be able to lead on the move,
not just in the locker room, not just you know,
stand in front of the team, but on the field
as things happen, and being problem solvers during the course
of a game. I think those are the two things
(22:04):
that that that's really shifted and changed in that position.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
The what makes for a good linebacker blitz line like
And I know that's a very broad question because that
can be a number of different.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Ways, but I had like ten things popping out of
my head. I can say the one a good linebacker
blitz lets the linebacker just get downhill.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And attack the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
That's the best there's a lot of different patterns, and
there's right, there's picks, there's rubs, there's you know, cross dogs,
There's all these different.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Things you can do.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Coffee my favorite.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah, you can coffee hows. You can pop out, act
like you act like you're dropping then go right coffee house.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
But when that hits, by the way, that is like
one of the most pesthetically you can see.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I've had a player once that said I want a
coffee house blitz. So I wrote it up on the
board coffee house by the Monday night football game because
he said he like wanted to do it on a
prime time game because he wanted to try to do
exactly what you said.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So we put it in and it actually failed.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
But for our listeners or viewers, I guess the coffee
house s blitz is where a linebacker fakes like he's blitzing,
kind of turns to fake like he's dropping out, and
then does blitz and the goal is to get like
the guard to take his eyes off him. Yeah, and
funny you mentioned that the first one I saw hit,
that's like ingrained in my head. I used to cover
the Bears and Danny Trevathan hit one on Monday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Got it on tape. You have that exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Against Washington, and I remember seeing that and being like
that was one of the most esthetically pleasing things I've
ever seen on a football field.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
But I think just overall, like get downhill, let him
attack the line of scrimmage. So they're blitzing and going fast,
you know, like you blitz for different reasons. Sometimes, yeah,
it's perfect if you beat a protection, you get a
free runner. But sometimes your players can go, so your
players can attack and you're not sitting and keying and reading.
You're attacking the offense and you're trying to take the
(24:01):
fight to them. And so I think that's that's why
I like I like pressure, And that's one.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Of the reasons when when when guys get back in
the building for the off season program next week, what
what is that first maybe month stretch before you get
on the grass for OTAs. What does that look like?
What is going on in James Betcher's room.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Well, I think the first thing we're doing is we're
re establishing the standard. You know, there is a standard
here and it's the standard will be here. It was
here before I got here, to'll be here long after
I'm here. It's the cult standard and just re establishing
that and talking about that. What are we going to
look like as linebackers in twenty twenty five? What is
our room going to look like? And I'm gonna talk
(24:43):
about things. Then our players are going to talk about things.
What do you want this room to look like? Because Okay,
now we know what we want it to look like.
Here's the things we need to do to make that happen.
And that's gonna be one of the first things we
talk about. We have some film to watch. We have
and all the film that will watch, it'll be man,
it'll be the guys in the room doing those things.
(25:05):
It'll be some guys on some other teams doing those things.
So it'll be guys in some other sports doing those things.
And ultimately it's building the imagery of what we're going
to be about. Then from there then it's scheme, but
it's identity first. It's building identity in our room. Then
then we'll certainly get into details of the scheme and
techniques and all that.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
We'll have plenty of time to talk about all of
those with you and with Lou and with all the
coaches later, but James appreciate the time than the show.
Hey, Colts fans, I'm JJ Stankavitz and welcome into another
episode of The Colts Show in Indianapolis. Colts Podcast Get
us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, on YouTube. We love hearing
all the feedback we got from the first show on
YouTube on social media. Thanks to everyone who watched that
with Chris Ballard and Shane Stike and check it out
if you haven't already, be sure to check out the
(00:27):
first two episodes A High Volume with Jeffrey Gorman as well.
Those are in your feeds and on YouTube as well.
Coming up on today's episode, I had a chance to
sit down with Colts linebackers coach James Betcher, and I
gotta tell you, like, my favorite people to talk to
in a building in a football building are usually the
assistant coaches because they have such a wealth of experience
(00:50):
and moments that they've had during their careers. And talking
to James, we started off talking about him being a
first time NFL coach in a room where he's got
to provide information to Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. In
twenty twelve, when James Becher was here as the Colts
outside linebackers coach, We got into a lot in this
(01:11):
a lot of stuff about the twenty twelve season. Really interesting,
his perspective on that very special year here in Indianapolis
with Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians obviously, and also if you
missed that episode of High Volume with Jeffrey Gorman with
Bruce Arians, that was the debut episode came out last week.
We also talked a little bit about his experience with
lou Anarumo, and then we had a really great conversation
(01:32):
about just a linebacker play in twenty twenty five where
I brought up a moment from a Bears game in
twenty nineteen when he used to cover the Bears that
he was like, oh yeah, I got that one on film.
A really good conversation with linebackers coach James Betcher. Go
check it out.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Right after this, the Colts are heading to Berlin. Come
join us in Germany this upcoming season by securing your
priority access to the official Colts Germany taket and travel packages,
which are available now through on location at Colts dot
com Slash International. On Location's ticket packages include end to
(02:09):
end planning with round trip airfare, guided tours, premium seating
options and world class hospitality service so you can make
the most out of your trip to see the Colts
abroad in Berlin. For more information, go to Colts dot
com slash international. Is your local high school signed up
to have a girls flag football team? The Ursa Family
(02:31):
and the Indianapolis Colts are committed to growing the game
of flag football, with the goal of having one hundred
Indiana high schools launch a girls flag football team by
fall of twenty twenty five. The first one hundred schools
to commit will receive a support package from the Colts
valued at ten thousand dollars, and we're already up to
(02:52):
over fifty schools committed. Go to Colts dot com slash
Girls Flag for more information and to fill out an
interest reply form. Joining me here on the Colt Show
is Colts linebackers coach James Betcher. You got my text
about what to wear, so thank you appreciate it. Just
one to match, yep. I mean it looks great obviously
(03:13):
to what they say. I mean, we get so much
free gear, like from the team that's all branded, so
inevitably this is going to happen at some point. I'm
glad that on our second episode with one of our
first guests we've had on the show. We're matching here
on set. I was talking to you before we started
recording about the first year you were here. So you
(03:34):
were here in twenty twelve, as I believe, as a
special assistant to Chuck Pagano. You're out coaching outside linebackers
and that was your first NFL job. Yeah, you were
in a room with a Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney,
Robert mathis a guy who, for my money, should be
in the Hall of Fame, Jerry Hughes, he was a
first dround pick, A couple other guys had some success
(03:54):
in the NFL. What did they teach you from like
day one about coaching in the NFL and what the
highest of high level football players need out of their
position coach.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I totally remember the very first meeting were installing quarters coverage.
And you have Robert and Dwight, who had been like
four to three defensive ends rushing off the edge, wrecking games,
hands and dirt for years, and we were in this
process of you know, building like more of a hybrid
style defense at the time, and Robert actually wanted to
(04:29):
call our meeting room the hybrids. He didn't want to
be called an outside linebacker. He woulded to be called
a hybrid because he felt like that just better dictated
who he was.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And I love that about him.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
But I'm sitting there, I'm installing the coverage, and I
look down and I think it was that moment I'm like,
these dudes are right notes like I got Robert math
is listening to me, Dwight's listening to me, Jerry's up
there like they're writing notes.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So I must have something of value to add in.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
But I think having a room like that as a
first time anything and being around elite players and the
process that elite players have, it's how you grow and
if you're you know, we talk about it in every
position room I've ever had. As a coordinator in this league,
I've talked about it to our players. Is like maximizing
your moment. It's no different as a coach, like wherever
(05:17):
you're at, have your feet on the ground, be dialed in.
There's something you can get out of whatever you're in.
I remember I was a graduate assistant at the University
of North Carolina and I'd went up and visited Chuck
Pagana when he was coaching at the Ravens, and so
I had a chance to sit in the linebacker meeting room,
and in that linebacker room was none other than none
(05:37):
other than one of the greatest of all time, Ray Lewis.
So Ray's sitting there and he's just taken and this
is like year twelve or something for him, and he's
just taking notes and taking notes. And you observe that,
you know, like he's had this install fifty times, maybe
one hundred times, and he's still taking notes on it.
And that was Robert, that was Dwyightey, that was Jerry,
(06:00):
that was the work ethic. And I think that just
tells you your preparation being in the moment wherever you're at,
maximizing whatever you can get out of whatever you're doing.
And you learn from that and you share that message on.
You could go to Cincinnati and talk to Logan and
Jermaine and would they would tell you about stories. I'd
(06:21):
tell them about working with Robert or working with Dwight
and being around elite players and what anate player looks like.
And because if we can share that with other players,
we can help them elevate their game.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean starting off with those two guys and rob
made the Pro Bowl that year in an incredible year.
As that year went on, though, you know, you talked
about that first meeting of like okay, they're taking notes,
like I must be here for a reason. As that
year went on, like how did your understanding of what
they needed sort of grow and develop over that year?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, I mean they had elite skill sets as rushers,
but what they had to develop and understand is where
they fit into the big picture of what we were
trying to do on defense. And that's what I know
that I could afford to them and give to them,
and so I could lean into that. Then on the
other side of things as rushers, as a coach, if
(07:15):
you're not learning from your players and how they learn
or what they're doing, or their fundamentals and techniques that
they already have inn use, it's crazy and you would
be crazy if you're not learning from that. And I
think that's where I grew was learning. You know, you're
when you're working the one hand, stab or Roberts like
dip speed rush, move on the edge, Like what are
(07:36):
you looking at pre snap? How do you know you're
trying to get to your third step or your fifth step,
or if you're flipping your feet and you're trying to
get to your second or fourth step, like when when
do you do that? And then those intricate details that
are everything, but they're super small and you're trying to
take those from them. That's what I'm trying to take
(07:56):
from them and trying to at the same time give
them something and you know, build trust and understanding and
a relationship.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Did you ever have a moment, I mean maybe outside
of that first time are you talking about like, oh,
you know, they're taking notes. Did you ever a moment
where it hit you that like, I really do I
belong here? I belong in the NFL? Or did do
you have to kind of operate with that mindset as
a first year NFL head coach to just fit in
in the building and be respected within the building.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I think in this league it is what have you
done for me lately?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Period?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And that's what it is for players, is what it
is for coaches. And we have to have something that
we provide every day in our jobs of value to
those that were around, and that is giving, not just taking.
And so I think that's just what was my mindset,
and that's kind of what that's kind of how I
(08:50):
was raised from a small town in northern Indiana and
my dad was a farmer, welder, mechanic. My mom worked
in a daughter's office, worked two jobs at night just
to try to, you know, take care of us. And
I'm the youngest of six and the first person in
my family go to college. So you're built with that
mentality of you gotta have your hand in the pile
and give something. You got to bring something to the table.
(09:12):
And I think early on in my career that's all
I ever did. When I was in college coach and
I was working myself up through the ranks to Saint
Frances the Bowling Green, to New Hampshire, to Ball State,
to the university, like all these different places. I think
that's what we learn along the way, is like we
need to provide something, and that is give to others
and serve others. And that's how one you build value
(09:34):
where you're at and two that's how you get you
get people to trust you, is because they feel and
see the genuine nature of what you're about.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Did you have much connection to the Colts before that
twenty twelve gig like, did you go, because I know
that they moved here when you were probably what like five.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah, I was super young when they moved here. Honestly,
I don't remember that. But here's what I know. Here's
my connection. My dad had the most gaudy blue Colts
sweatsuit of all time. It was complete blue and it
said Colts down that he was a huge Colts fan,
Colts down the right leg and it had like a
(10:12):
helmet logo in the middle with the shoot. I mean
it was. They were the bluest sweat sweatsuit ever. He
loved wearing that sweatsuit and he was a big fan.
I remember coming to my first game with him at
the RCIA Dome, sitting up in the end zone corner
with one of my good friends and his dad and
my dad. It was my first game I went to
(10:33):
with him. So, yeah, I had a connection with the
Colts before I came here. And that's you know, being
from Indiana. Certainly, what was the game you went to?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Do you remember?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
I don't really, I was. I was looking at that
the other day. I was like, what game was?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I actually texted my buddy that I was with Neil
Rush and he's, uh, He's like, man, I don't remember
what the game was either, but I remember where we
were sitting. I remember we went down to I think
it was called the the little indoor like it's used
to call it the train station downtown. We were walking
(11:05):
around and you know, we hadn't been to India a
lot of times, so it was all neat for.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Us, even in from the you know, when you're here
for a year and twelve to now where you're here
back thirteen years later, has anything like amazed you about
the growth of this city, about the growth of this
franchise within this city during that time.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah, I mean you walk around the building and you
see the things that are new that are different, from
the new cafeteria, to the weight room, to the expansion
of the training area, to how the meeting rooms have
been changed and constructed and really opened up. Certainly feel
that when you walk around the building, you feel different,
a completely different vibe from that standpoint that you know,
(11:44):
everything that has been going on here is to try
to move forward to progress. Then when you drive, you know,
we used to live, we lived in Zionsville.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
My wife.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
It was just my wife and I and our youngest
or excuse me, our oldest who was one at the time,
and we lived in the Zionsville area. We rented this
like a apartment up there, but we were driving around
when we first came over and started looking. It's unbelievable
how much things have grown. It's like, I think we
were as far north as you could go in Zionsville
are where for the most part, things were being built.
(12:13):
And now that's there's like, you know, another three miles
of homes, you know, north of where we live.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So it's it's pretty cool to see how things have changed.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
What's your best Bruce Arians story?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Best Bruce Arians story? The thing I always say about
Ba is this he was is still is because he
still pours into people. But he was an unbelievable developer
of those who are around him. When after, you know,
Chuck unfortunately got sick and Chuck was. They were so
(12:47):
similar in those ways. Chuck was the same type, is
the same type of person. He just he he pours
into people, and so Chuck gets sick, and so one
of my roles was just kind of helping Orger and eyes.
Our practice plans are scheduling what situational things we're gonna do,
what things at practice, we're gonna do my two minute standpoint.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I did that with Chuck a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Then I coach the outside linebackers, and so when Bruce
took over, those were things I started because I didn't
know Ba before he came here. Was that was my
first experience ever meeting him and he's like, you know,
he would say, hey, kid, come over here. I said, yes, sir,
and he's like, we're gonna watch all these two minutes together.
They're going to show the team. So I have the
(13:28):
cut up. I was getting ready and making I'm like, hey,
here's a good situation. We could show the team this today, this, this, this.
He's like, all right, yeah, you're gonna show it to him.
And we were five minutes from walking to the meeting.
I said, what are we What am I doing? He's like, no,
you're gonna show up him, explain all the situation offense defense,
what we'd be in on offense defense. Because he had
told me, hey, we'd be in this, this and this.
(13:49):
I'm writing notes down. He's like, I want you to
present it. I'm like okay. So then that became my thing,
and what he was doing was that's the game. The
game is like you got to be repaired, but like
it's going to happen, It's going to happen fast, and
how are you ready prepare for your moment? Then what
it is? You do what you know? So I went
in the meeting and presented it. It went well, and
(14:11):
those that's what I became. I became like the situational
master each week and he had me do that, and
he helped me grow and develop. And at first you
don't really you're just trying to get the job done.
But when you look back on it, the perspective you
have is, wow, how much I was able to grow
from having those opportunities to help, you know, ultimately coach
the team. And you appreciated that and I love that
(14:33):
about him. And that's what he did. He took me
to Arizona with him, and a year and a half
later he gives me an opportunity to be a coordinator
and the whole time I'm doing that, he's pouring into
me and he has ever since then.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
So be special that twenty twelve year where you know
you're brought in. You mentioned you met Chuck up in Baltimore,
you come here and that that whole year kind of
felt like everyone really just banding together. Yeah, where you know,
after he gets sick, you're talking about your role then
becomes this like what was the feeling like in the
(15:04):
building of everyone kind of all right, let let's do
it for Chuck. Let's do it for Chuck. Like what
was that like for you guys as coaches?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
You know, if you remember, Bruce had one of his
one of the offensive assistants by these this switch, these
little plastic pieces that held light switches in place, and
he left Chuck's light on and Chuck's light was never
turned off in his office, and he had this plastic
(15:30):
piece he put on the switch, so even when someone
came in to clean it after cleaning, they couldn't. No
one could ever turn his light off. And that was
our mentality. I don't think there'll ever be a team.
And Bruce talked about this to our team at the time.
It's like, the best teams are the teams that are
connected and galvanized, and our galvanized and our connection was
(15:53):
the cause for Chuck. And it was you know, our
team played for Chuck, and our team.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Played through that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
You know, you think of you know, Reggie's orange Glove
game to you know, draw powers in the Packers game
with the interception the second half that really flipped us
and got us going. We beat Jacksonville late, we beat
you know, Andrew leads us on the two minute. We
have the end of game in Detroit where I think
it's Vic jumps across the goal line at the very
end of the game. Like these are all goalt but
(16:23):
it's all galvanized on a cause. And when a team's
connected and they have a common cause, teams can be special.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
That's got to be a pretty cool lesson to look
back on from your first year at this level. And
you know you've been a part of some pretty good
teams obviously in Arizona, you know those you know in Cincinnati,
Like those lessons have to be kind of enduring of
that that you can present to players, to other coaches
over the coase of your coaching, of course, of your coaching.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Crek excuse me, Yeah, no, there's no doubt you're exactly
right with that.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
And that's that's what we do.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Is you know, like wherever you're at and your moment,
you're maximizing it by just being engaged, being there, being
the best you can be in that moment. Then you
take that and you stack that as part of who
you are and your identity, and you take and you
share that with other people and you give. And that
was kind of like what I was talking about with
like Logan or Jermaine, the two linebackers I had in Cincinnati.
(17:20):
I'm telling them stories, or I'm sitting talking with Fred
Warner and Arizona about like stories about players I've been
around or who he's been around, and we all grow
and we reciprocate that back and forth to each other.
And you do that with coaches too. You know, there's
a lot of coaches. I mean, you'd be crazy not
to just sit down and listen and hear. I think
I played for Kevin Donald, like the University of Saint
(17:41):
Francis and Fort Way, Indiana, and he said, just make
sure in this profession you just shut.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Up and listen.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
You know, just don't be afraid to shut up and
just be quiet and take it in and listen and
actually hear what people are telling you because it'll help
you grow and there'll be never another, you know, twenty twelve,
that's a year like that is special.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
It's a once in a lifetime thing.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
You know, you get around the coaches, you went through
that with the players, you went through that with, and
you have something that's common and obviously you know Chuck's
you know, it's like the Chuck Strong is coming up
here and that's that's pretty amazing. And it's just special,
you know, unfortunate but special at the same time to
have something like that that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
You're part of.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You talked about Cincinnati a little bit. What's something about
lou Anarrumo that maybe most people don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Most people don't know. I mean, he has an unbelievable energy.
Like like you, I think you would maybe think he's quiet,
you know, calm, but he is gonna coach guys hard.
He's going to demand and the guys are gonna love
playing for him because he's gonna build strong relationships with him.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
He's gonna respect their.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Opinions, but he's he's gonna be tough. And what the
product was and what he wanted the defense to be
was a defense that was gonna be tougher. You know,
we played in the AFC North and you had to
be tough to play in that division. And that's the
type of defenses he built, you know, And and ultimately
(19:10):
won a lot of games in Cincinnati because of the
type of defenses that him and the players had put
together over the years he was there. You know, he's
a great friend of mine. We've worked together at a couple
of places, and you know, I'm I'm lucky, and I
appreciate our friendship.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
With the way that he schemes things up. I mean,
I know players in since he called him a bad scientist,
and that is as a coach, how does that challenge
you when you might have to, you know, coach a
different scheme every week, a different technique every week, just
to fit it to the opponent that you're facing.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, I love it because that's what I'm all about.
And we you know, him and I that's that's why
we have such a great right. We see the game
so similar, and we see the needs of the game
and the needs of what we need to do on
defense to be offensive on defense.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And that's what he is.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
And and it's constructed though in a way that our
players don't have to learn new techniques every week.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
We teach scheme.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Then we plug those little intricate details and schemes and
techniques into big packages. So there's a lot of same
ads in the teaching. So you might have a technique
that you use in this call, but you're also going
to use in this call, and hey, this week, we're
going to do this, But that's just this technique that
you already know, and we have just a lot of
same ads. That way, we can build some complexity with
(20:30):
simplicity at the same time. And that's what's fun about
That's why the players love doing it. That's why they
call them a mad scientist because it's fun and they're
doing a lot of things, and you know, you get
to be a versatile player in this system. You get
to do different things, you get to present issues for
offenses in this system, and that's why it's a lot
(20:51):
of fun, a lot of fun to coach in. And
it'd be great and fun for our players to plan.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Where has the off ball linebacker position evolved your time
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
The game has changed so much. It used to be
big personnel groupings that made like big looking formations, and
now the game is they might be big personnel groupings
or small, but everything is space oriented and the game
is so space it's a space game and they try
to as the wider the field gets or the wider
the offense creates the field, the more space the linebackers
(21:23):
have to play in. And that is the biggest thing
over you know, the last five to ten years that
this league is is this the space play that you
have to be able to operate in? That's one and two.
Just as systems become you know, maybe the word is complex,
but have layers to them, the linebacker positions become more
(21:44):
and more of a quarterback. You know, just the mindset
of the player, how smart they have to be, how
able they have to be able to lead on the move,
not just in the locker room, not just you know,
stand in front of the team, but on the field
as things happen, and being problem solvers during the course
of a game. I think those are the two things
(22:04):
that that that's really shifted and changed in that position.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
The what makes for a good linebacker blitz line like
And I know that's a very broad question because that
can be a number of different.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Ways, but I had like ten things popping out of
my head. I can say the one a good linebacker
blitz lets the linebacker just get downhill.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And attack the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
That's the best there's a lot of different patterns, and
there's right, there's picks, there's rubs, there's you know, cross dogs,
There's all these different.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Things you can do.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Coffee my favorite.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah, you can coffee hows. You can pop out, act
like you act like you're dropping then go right coffee house.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
But when that hits, by the way, that is like
one of the most pesthetically you can see.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I've had a player once that said I want a
coffee house blitz. So I wrote it up on the
board coffee house by the Monday night football game because
he said he like wanted to do it on a
prime time game because he wanted to try to do
exactly what you said.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
So we put it in and it actually failed.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
But for our listeners or viewers, I guess the coffee
house s blitz is where a linebacker fakes like he's blitzing,
kind of turns to fake like he's dropping out, and
then does blitz and the goal is to get like
the guard to take his eyes off him. Yeah, and
funny you mentioned that the first one I saw hit,
that's like ingrained in my head. I used to cover
the Bears and Danny Trevathan hit one on Monday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Got it on tape. You have that exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Against Washington, and I remember seeing that and being like
that was one of the most esthetically pleasing things I've
ever seen on a football field.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
But I think just overall, like get downhill, let him
attack the line of scrimmage. So they're blitzing and going fast,
you know, like you blitz for different reasons. Sometimes, yeah,
it's perfect if you beat a protection, you get a
free runner. But sometimes your players can go, so your
players can attack and you're not sitting and keying and reading.
You're attacking the offense and you're trying to take the
(24:01):
fight to them. And so I think that's that's why
I like I like pressure, And that's one.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Of the reasons when when when guys get back in
the building for the off season program next week, what
what is that first maybe month stretch before you get
on the grass for OTAs. What does that look like?
What is going on in James Betcher's room.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Well, I think the first thing we're doing is we're
re establishing the standard. You know, there is a standard
here and it's the standard will be here. It was
here before I got here, to'll be here long after
I'm here. It's the cult standard and just re establishing
that and talking about that. What are we going to
look like as linebackers in twenty twenty five? What is
our room going to look like? And I'm gonna talk
(24:43):
about things. Then our players are going to talk about things.
What do you want this room to look like? Because Okay,
now we know what we want it to look like.
Here's the things we need to do to make that happen.
And that's gonna be one of the first things we
talk about. We have some film to watch. We have
and all the film that will watch, it'll be man,
it'll be the guys in the room doing those things.
(25:05):
It'll be some guys on some other teams doing those things.
So it'll be guys in some other sports doing those things.
And ultimately it's building the imagery of what we're going
to be about. Then from there then it's scheme, but
it's identity first. It's building identity in our room. Then
then we'll certainly get into details of the scheme and
techniques and all that.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
We'll have plenty of time to talk about all of
those with you and with Lou and with all the
coaches later, but James appreciate the time than the show.
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