INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WJMN) – The entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan celebrated on Saturday when Bruce’s Crossing native, Jake Witt, was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 236th pick in the 7th round of the NFL Draft.
After starring as student athlete at Ewen-Trout Creek High school , Witt played basketball at Michigan Tech before eventually transferring to Northern Michigan where he played football for just one season.
Witt placed his name on the NFL radar after an impressive showing at Central Michigan’s Pro Day last March.
But it was an individual workout with the Colts during the pre-draft process that sealed his destiny to becoming a Colt.
“Three weeks ago we were watching this workout and I was like, ‘Damn, I’m just going to draft this dude just off of the workout,'” said Chris Ballard, the General Manager of the Colts.
Witt took part in a private workout Colts Offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. who left the session impressed.
“We sent Tony (Sparano Jr.) out to work him out and Tony came back raving and said, ‘look, I think we can make this guy a player,'” said Ballard.
Witt was able to show off his rare athletics traits that make him such an intriguing prospect for NFL teams.
“I mean, he’s 6’7″ and 300 pounds,” said Ballard. “He ran a 4.8 (40 yard dash), his vertical is 37 inches. He’s got all the athletic traits that you look for.”
Ballard said he knew if he didn’t take the swing in the 7th round to bring Witt aboard the chances of signing him after the draft as an undrafted free agent would be slim.
“I knew the competition was going to be heavy,” said Ballard. “After the draft I said, ‘screw it, we’re just going to draft him.”
Witt becomes the first Northern Michigan football player to be drafted since 1991 when Mark Maddox was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 259th pick in the 7th round.
Witt will be introduced with the rest of the Colts 2023 draft class this Thursday and he will then take part in the Colts Rookie Mini-Camp which runs from either May 5-8 or May 12-15.
