Indianapolis Colts

My All Time Favorite Indianapolis Colts Players

The Indianapolis Colts, formerly the Baltimore Colts, have a proud history.  In 1958, they won the NFL Championship Game between the Colts and the New York Giants which became known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” It was the first game to go into overtime and in front of a large television audience, the Colts triumphed 23-17. Colts fans have been privileged to cheer on two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning. The Colts are one of the NFL’s classic teams. Iconic Colts stars like Johnny Unitas, John Mackey, Art Donovan and Raymond Berry all wore the Colts’ blue and white during that game. Unitas is considered by many to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. During the team’s time in Baltimore, the great Colts teams won three NFL championships and a Super Bowl.

Controversially moving to Indianapolis in 1984, the Colts had some superstars like Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk, two of the best running backs of all time, but it took until the drafting of Peyton Manning in 1998 for the Colts to acquire its franchise superstar. With Manning at the helm, the Colts were a playoff certainty, even winning Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were on that team and are also some of the best Colts ever.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas - Baltimore Colts - Hall of Fame - HOF - Quarterback

1957 Topps #138 Rookie Card

 

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts - Denver Broncos - Quarterback

1998 Collectors Edge #189 Rookie Card

 

Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck - Indianapolis Cots - Quarterback - #1 Pick

2012 Topps Platinum #150 Rookie Card

 

RUNNING BACKS

Lenny Moore

Lenny Moore - Baltimore Colts - Running Back

1956 Topps #60 Rookie Card

 

Edgerrin James

Edgerrin James - Indianapolis Colts - Running Back

1999 SkyBox Premium #222 Rookie Card

 

Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai - Indianapolis Colts - New England Patriots - Running Back

2006 Score #377 Rookie Card

 

Alan Ameche

Alan Ameche - Baltimore Colts - Running Back

1955 Bowman #8 Rookie Card

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison - Indianapolis Colts - Wide Receiver

1996 Bowman’s Best #165 Rookie Card

 

Reggie Wayne

Reggie Wayne - Indianapolis Colts - Wide Receiver

2001 Upper Deck Vintage #230 Rookie Card

 

Raymond Berry

Raymond Berry - Baltimore Colts - Wide Receiver

1957 Topps #94 Rookie Card

 

TIGHT ENDS

John Mackey

John Mackey - Baltimore Colts - Tight End

1964 Philadelphia #3 Rookie Card

 

Dallas Clark

Dallas Clark - Indianapolis Colts - Tight End

2003 Bowman #135 Rookie Card

 

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

OT – Tarik Glenn (1997-2006)

Jim Parker

Jim Parker - Baltimore Colts - Tackle - Guard

1959 Topps #132 Rookie Card

 

Ray Donaldson

Ray Donaldson Indianapolis Colts - Center

1984 Topps #13 Rookie Card

 

Chris Hinton

Chris Hinton - Indianapolis Colts - Guard

1984 Topps #15 Rookie Card

 

OT – Bob Vogel (1963-1972)

 

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Gino Marchetti

Gino Marchetti - Baltimore Colts - Defensive End

1952 Bowman #23 Rookie Card

 

Art Donovan

Art Donovan - Dallas Texans - Baltimore Colts - Defensive Tackle - Hall of Fame - HOF

1952 Bowman #46 Rookie Card

 

Gene Lipscom

Gene Lipscom - Baltimore Colts - Defensive Tackle

1959 Topps #36 Rookie Card

 

Dwight Freeney

Dwight Freeney - Indianapolis Colts - Defensive End

2002 Topps Chrome #171 Rookie Card

 

LINEBACKERS

LB – Don Shinnick (1957-1969)

Mike Curtis

Mike Curtis - Baltimore Colts - Linebacker

1966 Topps #229 Rookie Card

 

LB – Bill Pellington (1953-1964)

Ted Hendricks

Ted Hendricks - Baltimore Colts - Linebacker

1972 Topps #93 Rookie Card

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

CB – Lenny Lyles (1958,1961-1969)

Bruce Laird

Bruce Laird - Baltimore Colts - Cornerback

1974 Topps #96 Rookie Card

 

Bert Rechichar

Bert Rechichar - Baltimore Colts - Defensive Back

1951 Topps #30 Rookie Card

 

Rick Volk

Rick Volk - Baltimore Colts - Defensive Back - Safety

1971 Topps #32 Rookie Card

 

S – Jerry Logan (1963-1972)

Bob Sanders

Bob Sanders - Indianapolis Colts - Safety

2004 Upper Deck SP #608 Rookie Card

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Mike Vanderjagt (1998-2005)

P – Rohn Stark

Rohn Stark - Baltimore Colts - Punter

1983 Topps #216 Rookie Card

 

PR – Clarence Verdin

Clarence Verdin - Indianapolis Colts - Punt Returner

1989 Topps #215 Rookie Card

 

KR – Lenny Moore

Lenny Moore - Baltimore Colts - Kick Returner - Running Back

1956 Topps #60 Rookie Card

 

NICKNAME

  • Baltimore’s first pro football team was a member of the 1947 AAFC. A fan contest produced the Colts name reflecting the great tradition and proud history of horse breeding and racing in the Baltimore region. The original Colts disbanded after the 1950 season but the name was retained when a new Baltimore franchise began play in 1953. The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

TEAM NAMES

  • Baltimore Colts (1953-1983)
  • Indianapolis Colts (1984-Present)

HEAD COACHES

  • Weeb Ewbank (1954-1962)
  • Frank Kush (1984)
  • Hal Hunter (1984)
  • Rod Dowhower (1985-1986)
  • Ron Meyer (1986-1991)
  • Rick Venturi (1991)
  • Ted Marchibroda (1992-1995)
  • Lindy Infante (1996-1997)
  • Jim Mora (1998-2001)
  • Tony Dungy (2002-2008)
  • Jim Caldwell (2009-2011)
  • Chuck Pagano (2012-2017)
  • Frank Reich (2018-Present)

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

  • Super Bowl V (1970) – Baltimore Colts defeat Dallas Cowboys 16-13
  • Super Bowl XLI (2006) – Indianapolis Colts defeat Chicago Bears 29-17

SUPER BOWL APPEARANCES

  • Super Bowl III (1968) – Baltimore Cots vs. New York Jets
  • Super Bowl V (1970) – Baltimore Colts vs. Dallas Cowboys
  • Super Bowl XLI (2006) – Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
  • Super Bowl XLIV (2009) – Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

  • 1995, 2003, 2006, 2009

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

  • 1987, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES

  • 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014

PLAYOFF RECORD

  • 22-23 .400

HALL OF FAME PLAYERS

  • Richard Dent DE (1996)
  • Eric Dickerson RB (1987-1991)
  • Marshall Faulk RB (1994-1998)

RETIRED NUMBERS

  • 19 Johnny Unitas QB (1956-1972)
  • 22 Buddy Young RB (1953-1955)
  • 24 Lenny Moore RB (1956-1967)
  • 70 Art Donovan OT (1953-1961)
  • 77 Jim Parker OT (1957-1967)
  • 82 Raymond Berry WR (1955-1967)
  • 89 Gino Marchetti DE (1953-64, 66)

PRO BOWL MVP

  • 1995 Marshall Faulk RB

AWARDS

COACH OF THE YEAR

  • None

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

  • 1985 Duane Bickett LB 

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

  • 1994 Marshall Faulk RB
  • 1999 Edgarine James RB 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

  • 2007 Bob Sanders S 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

  • 2004 Peyton Manning QB 

NFL MVP

  • 2003 Peyton Manning QB
  • 2004 Peyton Manning QB
  • 2008 Peyton Manning QB
  • 2009 Peyton Manning QB

SUPER BOWL MVP

  • Super Bowl XLI – Peyton Manning QB (2006)

 

Colts: a tale of two cities. history of the team in Baltimore, from its woeful start in the 1950s to the building of a powerhouse led by coach Weeb Ewbank, Alan Ameche, and ninth-round draft pick Johnny Unitas. They went on to the 1958 championship, later dubbed “the greatest game ever played,” and were embraced by the blue-collar town. Later years included Super Bowl III under new coach Don Shula, the last-minute thrills of Super Bowl V, Joe Thomas’s subsequent dismantling of the team that led to Unitas’ final game in Baltimore, the dawning of the Bert Jones and Ted Marchibroda era, and, on March 28, 1984, the Mayflower vans that departed for Indianapolis. WR Raymond Berry, DT Art Donovan, DE Gino Marchetti, coach Don Shula, RB Lenny Moore

Colts’ 1984 welcome to Indianapolis and the subsequent development of the team. Again starting with some lean years, the Colts traded for Eric Dickerson and drafted Jeff George, Steve Emtman, and Marshall Faulk. After a run to the 1995 AFC Championship game, the arrival of superstars Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerrin James as well as coach Tony Dungy helped the Colts battle the Steelers in the January 2006 playoffs.  Marchibroda, Jim Harbaugh, the 2003 “Monday Night Miracle” when Dungy returned to Tampa Bay, the 2005 Game of the Week in which Manning and Harrison made history

©MMXIX My All Time Favorites, all pictures and logos, team names are property of the National Football League. This site is not affiliated with the NFL or Indianapolis Colts.  All Football Cards are low resolution scans from a personal collection and each is credited with the production company name and year.  This site is maintained for research purposes only.

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