Austin Collie's Wife Helped Him Learn Colts' Playbook

MIAMI -- Learning the Indianapolis Colts' offense is like learning a foreign language, with Peyton Manning barking out signals that would sound to an outsider like gibberish, and the 10 other Colts on the field needing to know what to do as soon as they hear Manning's calls.

For Colts rookie receiver Austin Collie, learning the second language that is the Colts' playbook was particularly challenging early in the 2009 season. Fortunately, Collie had some help from his wife.

"At the beginning of the season, I was having a hard time studying and memorizing the playbook," Collie said at Super Bowl Media Day. "My wife would help me by giving me a play and she would read a script from the previous day or the script that was about to be used. It would help me learn the plays. I basically teach her what I was doing, and it helped a lot as far as retaining information. If I got the play wrong, she would make me do it again."

Collie, who caught 60 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009, is accustomed to having football be a family affair because his father, Scott Collie, was a Canadian Football League player when Austin was a kid, and Austin and his brother, Zac Collie, were teammates at BYU.

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MIAMI - FEBRUARY 05: Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders rehearse at Sun Life Stadium on February 5, 2010 in Miami, Florida. Super Bowl XLIV between the Colts and the New Orleans Saints will be held Sunday February 7, 2010. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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The Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl, is shown before a news conference Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New Orleans Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton listens to a question during a news conference Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New Orleans Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton reaches for the Vince Lombardi Trophy after a news conference Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New Orleans Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton reaches for a helmet as he poses with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after a news conference Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New Orleans Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton answers a question during a news conference Friday, Feb. 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New Orleans Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts speaks to members of the media during the AFC Head Coach Press Conference held at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center as part of media week for Super Bowl XLIV on February 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jim Caldwell

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And although Austin is a rookie, at 24 years old he's older than most rookies because he took two years off from college to make a Mormon mission. He says those two years away from football made him a better player in the long run.

"I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina," Collie said. "I was there in January 2005 to January 2007. I missed seeing the 2005 and 2006 Super Bowls, but was back in time to see the Colts' win over the Bears. I got back January 11, 2007, so I was back in time to see the Colts game. ... The mission was a gratifying experience where I did get a chance to mature quickly because it is so tough. It forces you to appreciate the things around you that you have."

Still, for as impressive as Collie was as a rookie, he says he still doesn't have the Colts' offense completely figured out.

"I'm still making mistakes and there are still things I need to learn," he said. "I think it will be a couple of years before I get this offense down pat."