When Khalil Herbert sat down in front of a microphone for the first time as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the running back was all smiles.
He was dressed simply, wearing – alongside his grin – a thick gold chain around his neck with the letters "KH"and a white T-shirt with a roller coaster on it. The words on the tee?
"Don't forget to enjoy the journey."
Indianapolis will be the third city the 26-year-old Florida native will call home since beginning his NFL career in 2021, when he was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Herbert remained in Chicago until November of 2024, when he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts then signed Herbert on March 14 as a free agent.
In his four-year NFL career, Herbert has played against the Colts once – when the Bears lost, 21-16, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Sept. 2024. He'd also been with the Bears when they participated in joint practices and a preseason game in Indianapolis in 2023, and believed that, thanks to those experiences, he had a good grasp on what the Colts organization was all about.
"They really didn't have to sell me on much," Herbert said. "I like what they're doing here, I like the opportunity that's here. A great group of guys, a great offense, a great defense.
You could just feel the energy here, and I was just excited to be a part of that and feel like I could come in and help out."
That is, really, one of Herbert's main goals with the Colts: help. Help himself continue to grow his own game, and help the Colts. Herbert said the opportunity to play alongside, and learn from, someone like Jonathan Taylor – who finished the 2024 season with the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL – was something of a selling point, as well.
"It'll be great," Herbert said. "I've watched him from afar the last couple of years, he's been doing his thing, balling out. So just being able to see it firsthand, get some tips or tricks or whatever it is, be able to add stuff to my game as well and help everybody out on the team, I feel like will help us a lot."