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By LARRY VAUGHT

Jacob Tamme says the offense has been “great” for him, but he’s also glad he knows more about what to expect when the Indianapolis Colts report for preseason training camp Aug. 2.

“The first practice this summer I was lined up in the backfield. Last year, I would have been blown away doing that,” said Tamme, a second-year tight end. “There are so many intricacies of this offense that it’s hard to even explain. That’s why just knowing what to expect is going to help so much this year.”

The Colts made Tamme, a Boyle County native, a fourth-round draft pick last year after his stellar career at Kentucky ended. He had a limited role with in his rookie season as a backup to Dallas Clark, one of the NFL’s premier tight ends. He had three catches for 12 yards in 12 games and also played on special teams.

“I certainly hope my role will be different and expanded,” said Tamme, who vacationed with his family in Florida last week. “I hope I play a lot more. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and earning the playing time. I’ve got to be ready to play at any time and take advantage of any opportunity I get.

“I hope my experience does help me this year, and I also hope to play even more special teams. I just want to be on the field all I can.”

That’s what he is used to.  At Kentucky, he had 56 catches for 619 yards and six touchdowns in 2007 when he was named the Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a consensus all-SEC selection.  At Boyle County, he had 97 career receptions for 1,866 yards and 32 scores and also intercepted 23 passes.

Tamme has not been one to watch what the Colts have done with the roster during the off-season or fret about job security or playing time.

“Once you develop a relationship with guys, you don’t want to see anyone cut,” he said. “But you also have to compete with guys for positions. That’s just a fact of life in the NFL. All you can do is work hard and play football, (and) when you get a chance to play, make something happen.

“You just have to treat it like any other job. If you do that, it will all work out like it is supposed to. If you worry, then you have an even better chance of getting cut.”

Longtime coach Tony Dungy retired after the Colts lost in the second round of the playoffs last year, and assistant Jim Caldwell was promoted to the top job. Two other veteran Indianapolis offensive assistant coaches also left when Dungy retired.

“Nobody wanted to see coach Dungy go, but we all like our new coach. I enjoyed being around him last year when he was quarterback coach. He reminds me a lot of coach Dungy,” Tamme said. “He has a lot of the same traits that made coach Dungy successful.

“We had a lot of staff changes, but we’ve also got coaches who have been here and know what is going on. We just have to move on and listen to the new coaches. I can’t control any of that. All I can control is how I prepare and how I play, but I have a lot of confidence in our new coaches.”

Tamme worked diligently with Indianapolis’ strength coaches during the offseason on various things to better prepare him for the rigors of a NFL season.

“The NFL season is so long. Immediately after the season, everybody takes a hiatus because you need it,” he said. “The first month after the season ends, the team doesn’t want you to do anything because it takes your mind and body time to recover, especially after a rookie season when you had no idea really what to expect.”

That’s why he was better prepared to take advantage of offseason workouts. The coaching sessions that often concentrated on individual techniques and passing workouts helped him enhance the skills he developed at Boyle County and then UK.

He says he and his wife, Allison, have had a great time in Indianapolis, but now it is time to play football again.

“We’ve been back to Danville, but we love Indianapolis,” Tamme said. “It has been a really fun offseason, but now I am excited to think about getting another season started and having a chance to show more of what I can do.”