WEB UPDATE: Farbotko Follows Dawson, Inks Deal With Colts

Senior tight end Matt Farbotko signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts this past weekend after attending the team's three-day minicamp.

Farbotko was first notified of the Colts' interest during the NFL draft, when the club offered him a tryout, beginning last Thursday, that included meetings, orientations, and physical, drug, and flexibility tests.

After a long weekend of trying to learn everything from plays to lingo, Farbotko was unsure of his status. Ready to talk to Colts head coach Tony Dungy after practice ended, the tight end instead found himself in general manager Bill Polian’s office signing the deal that he hopes will launch his NFL career.

“Now I’m excited,” Farbotko said. “I’m not so much anxious anymore. Now I know what to expect, I know what camp’s like. Now it’s just more of I’ve got to get down to business. It’s a job now, it’s how I’m going to make my living, so I need to do well.”

Farbotko will join running back Clifton Dawson—who was signed as an undrafted free agent on draft day—in Indianapolis as soon as finals end.

Whether or not Farbotko will actually make the team this fall is another question: he will likely find himself competing against two others for the fourth tight end spot on the roster.

But a lot changed in just this past weekend. Going from an undrafted, unsigned player to a minicamp and a contract did wonders for Farbotko’s chances and his confidence.

“Going in this weekend I didn’t really know what to expect,” Farbotko said. “I was skeptical. But now that I see that they’re excited about how I played in camp. They’re excited to have me on, enough to sign me. I feel like they’re at least going to give me a fair shot.”

—Staff writer Madeleine Shapiro can be reached at mshapiro@fas.harvard.edu.