Where Colts DC Lou Anarumo is placing the green…

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Being given the green dot in an NFL defense comes with a large mental load. For rookie linebacker CJ Allen, it also comes with an accent barrier.

“You know I’m from Georgia, so I got a little bit of a southern twang,” Allen said. “I got to really enunciate my words.”

For the rest of the Colts defense, the change isn’t just in having a communicator with a thick southern accent. It’s having a rookie.

In his first season as the Colts’ defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo had linebacker Zaire Franklin wear the green dot to relay plays to the defense.

The nine-year veteran was traded to the Green Bay Packers in March, opening the opportunity up for another player. That other player very well could be rookie second-round pick CJ Allen, who held communication duties in his collegiate career at Georgia.

Allen missed the first two days of camp with a calf strain, but immediately assumed the role of the green dot guy when he stepped onto the field after being activated from PUP Friday morning.

“He already did it for his time at Georgia, so he’s used to it,” Anarumo said. “It’s part of the development process for any young linebacker to learn how to do that. He’s done a good job.”

Serving as the green dot at a powerhouse like Georgia is not a small task, and Allen knows at the next level it means even more. However, the responsibility is something he’s been hoping for his whole life.

“I see it as a great opportunity and a blessing,” Allen said of the role. “You know, it’s everything I pray for and dream of.”

It wasn’t just Allen’s play at Sanford Stadium that earned him the responsibility. His work off the field in the offseason stood out to Anarumo.