Let Us Give Thanks

On this Thanksgiving I feel that it is appropriate to give a special thanks to several special people who have played important roles in establishing the Indianapolis Colts Franchise that we have come to know and love: 

1. Peyton Manning- Ever since the Colts drafted this southern boy out of Tennessee University, we Colts fans have fallen in love with this strong armed quarterback on and off the field. From his comical commercials to his fantastic play on the field, Peyton Manning has been embraced by the Colts community, and in return has rewarded this city with multiple MVP awards, as well as, a Super Bowl trophy. Manning shifted this franchise from years of NFL irrelevancy to the modern day blueprint on how to create a dynasty. 

2. Tony Dungy- After Dungy left Tampa Bay for clearer skies here in Indianapolis, the Colts community have been beneficiaries of great football teams. However, more importantly than that, anyone who knows Tony Dungy or what he is about knows that this man is just a great person. He is not caught up in his fame or fortune and does not seclude himself from the public. Dungy is a family man who preaches life lessons that have made all of us better people. 

3. Jim Irsay- The owner of the Colts franchise, is a community oriented man who has built a small economy that helps support the Indianapolis area. He has helped put together a winning organization that is mindful of the Indianapolis faithful, and unlike other owners you can tell that he is not just a great business man, but simply a great man as well.

4. John Elway- Now I bet a bunch of you are wondering, “why is John Elway on here, did he ever play for the Colts?” Well no he didn’t, but without his refusal to play for the Baltimore Colts we might not even have the Indianapolis Colts. If Elway had agreed to play for Baltimore after being drafted by them, then the team would have had their franchise quarterback and that may have just saved the team from moving to Indianapolis in the black of the night. Regardless Elway won two rings with Denver, Indianapolis got the Colts, and Baltimore got the Ravens, so in the end all three ended up with Super Bowls. 

These are just four individuals who have shaped our Indianapolis Colts into the team that we know and love. Granted there are many others who could be on this list, but these are four of the most important to ever be affiliated with the Colts franchise.