Reggie Wayne tells Colts he's ready for training camp

 

There's only one thing that's going to stop Colts receiver Reggie Wayne from participating in the team's training camp next month: Coach Chuck Pagano.

Wayne is prepared.

''I plan on bringing some extra boxing gloves for me and Chuck,'' he joked. ''So whenever he tells me I can't go, we're just going to lace them up.''

Wayne was a spectator all three days of the Colts' minicamp, which wrapped up Thursday. The team held him out to help the 35-year old make a full recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee.

Wayne said he is ready, though. Not only does he feel good, but he feels better than he has in more than 10 years.

''This probably is the healthiest I've been, probably since `02,'' Wayne said. ''One blessing I do take out of last year is maybe it was time to let my body heal a little bit.''

He also said he feels like he let the team down when he suffered the season-ending injury in a game against Denver in October. That's why he's so anxious to get back on the field.

''I feel like I kind of left them hanging a little bit, last year, so it's the team, I want to be back out there with the team,'' he said. ''I don't feel like I have anything to prove to anybody. At first it started that way at the beginning, but as time went by, I don't have anything to prove. I know what I can do.''

The Colts will begin training camp on July 23 and Wayne expects to be there.

''There's no reason why I shouldn't be ready in July,'' he said. ''I guess Chuck is the only reason.''