Warren Central Grad Julius “JuJu” Brents Eagerly Anticipating First Season With the Colts
Writer / Ryan Kennedy
Photography Provided
With the 44th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Julius “JuJu” Brents, a cornerback out of Kansas State University.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 198 pounds, Brents is larger than the average corner. He possesses an impressive wingspan and, most importantly, a keen mind for the game of football.
He’s also a Hoosier.
Being the hometown hero has its perks. “It’s pretty easy for me,” he says. “I would say easier at least, to not have to worry about all the off-field stuff, as far as where I’m going to live at and taking care of transportation and all that. I’m in my hometown so that makes that a lot easier.”
Throughout the draft process, Brents knew the Colts were interested in him. He’d visited the Colts complex and talked briefly with coaches, but says he pushed thoughts about where he might eventually end up, or when he might get drafted, out of his mind. It’s a mindset he carried with him to the night of the second round of the draft.
“I just want an opportunity, honestly,” he says. “That’s just the mentality I had, because once you start expecting this to happen, and if that doesn’t happen, then you start doubting yourself or things of that nature. So in my head I was just like, ‘Hey, I get drafted, don’t get drafted, go early, go late, whatever.’ I just want to get the opportunity, and I’m going to make the most it.”
When opportunity came calling, Brents was at his draft party in Westfield surrounded by friends and family. Brents saw the Indianapolis area code on the ringing phone and briefly thought it might be a prank. “Bro, nobody better prank call me right now,” he remembers thinking. When Brents answered the phone, he heard a woman say she was transferring him over to Colts General Manager Chris Ballard. “I was really just shaking,” he says. “It was a moment like I’ll never forget.”
Even a day later, Brents says getting drafted didn’t feel real. It wasn’t until he arrived at the Colts complex for the first time after the draft, and saw his practice jersey hanging in a locker next to Kenny Moore’s, that he turned to his mom and said “It’s real now.”
“It was a great feeling to be able to say, ‘I’m a Colt now,’ and have that horseshoe on my helmet,” he says.
Brents credits his mother with always supporting his dreams of playing in the NFL. “Since I was a kid I always would tell her, ‘I want to play in the NFL. I want to be an NFL player,’” he says. “She never did shy away from my dreams. She always believed in me.” Family is important to Brents, and he’s grateful to be able to stay close to his family and take care of his dog, a cane corso. “My mom’s been getting on me about that a little,” he says.
More than an Indianapolis native who was drafted by Colts, Brents is a fan drafted by his favorite team. The Warren Central High School graduate grew up watching Colts legends like Peyton Manning and idolizing Bob Sanders, who helped recruit Brents to the University of Iowa, where Brents played before transferring to Kansas State.
He knows what it means to wear the horseshoe on his helmet. He knows what the fans and the city expect from him and from the franchise. “It’s definitely an honor,” he says. “I’m just looking forward to being a part of this division and just taking it on full steam ahead.”
Being the hometown hero may make Brents’ transition to the NFL slightly easier. It also shines a spotlight squarely on Brents. It’s
a light other rookies might find too bright. Brents embraces it. He’s proud of where he comes from and what he’s achieved. He wears his hometown hero status like a badge of honor. He’s excited to represent Indianapolis, and all the family and friends who have supported him along the way. He also knows there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“I want to earn everything that’s coming my way,” Brents says. “I want to have that chip on my shoulder I’ve always had as a child. I’m just looking forward to putting my best foot forward for the organization and doing what’s best for the team, regardless of what that is. And I’m looking forward to bringing a winning tradition back for us.”
