Blake Grupe, Spencer Shrader weigh in on Colts kicking competition
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WRTV) — Competition has kicked into high gear, as Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader battle to be the Colts kicker this season.
“I’m comfortable in competition,” Grupe said. “It is what it is at our position. You’re in the National Football League, so what do you expect.”
“You have to get comfortable with that mentality of competing with yourself day in and day out,” Shrader said. “I’m just always trying to find better ways to beat me every single day and that’s been a good mentality so far.
“That’s going to be a good battle for sure,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Both those guys are starting kickers in this league, so that’ll be very interesting to see how that plays out, because I love both those guys.”
After a season-ending ACL injury against Las Vegas last year, Shrader’s grateful to be back on the field.
“I feel like I’m still building,” Shrader said. “Knee wise, I was feeling back to normal pretty fast. I started kicking early, but you’re just always working on like tempo and timing and getting back into your routine and rhythm of things. I’m not trying to get back to where I once was, I’m trying to be the best version of myself right now.”
“We’re not going to be judged by any one rep or any one day,” Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason said. “We’re not looking to – I know that everyone wants immediate gratification or to name a starter soon. Like, we’re going to be looking at the big picture, who continues to get better.”
Grupe and Shrader might be in competition with each other for just one roster spot with the colts, but the time they’ve spent on this field has only gotten them even closer. Grupe actually helped recruit Shrader to Notre Dame years ago, and they’ve been very good friends since.
“It’s been fun for me,” Shrader said. “I consider myself blessed to be able to compete with Blake (Grupe) just because we’re such good buddies, and I want the best for him and I know that he wants the best for me. I have nothing but respect for him. He’s an excellent kicker, and so far, it’s been great.”
“To go against a guy that you truly have been friends with and have known over the years, we’re duking it out one-on-one,” Grupe said. “It is what it is so, we all understand what’s going on but you can’t ask for a better guy to go against.”
Two Notre Dame kickers looking for the luck of the Irish.
