March Madness is here and with it comes a high level of excitement and a warm welcome to the chaos. The more unpredictable, the better the tournament can be. The most stable picks are usually the number one seeds. These are the top dogs that have run the gauntlet in the toughest conferences. In the spirit of March Madness, let’s look at the “number one seeds” for the Indianapolis Colts to understand the franchise altering moves that had the greatest impact. When thinking of this team, what are its most defining moments?
Drafting Peyton Manning
The number one overall seed has to be drafting Manning, right? Let the arguments begin around who is the greatest of all time, but there is no denying his impact on the league and the Colts themselves. The holder of so many records, Manning took the Colts to the playoffs on repeat and made two Super Bowl appearances during his time in Indy. From record-breaking touchdowns and the countless names he helped reach the Hall of Fame through his brilliance, drafting Manning number one overall in 1998 has to be on the top line.
Relocating the team to Indianapolis
This one speaks for itself. The middle of the night Mayflower move changed the course of history for the city of Baltimore, the state of Indiana, and the entire NFL. From the Hoosier Dome, to the RCA Dome, and now, Lucas Oil, the Indianapolis skyline is forever changed as Indy has become a sports destination with its state of the art facilities. There would be no “Indianapolis” iteration of the Colts as the last 40 years would be erased. The decision to move the team means everything.
Drafting Andrew Luck
Maybe this is the number one that burns out in the Sweet Sixteen, but its importance can’t be downplayed. Getting Luck right after Manning was nothing but pure luck as the franchise continued to be relevant. Seen as one of the most surefire prospects out of the draft in a long time, Luck didn’t disappoint, leading a truly awful team to the playoffs his first year. While the Colts didn’t reach the ultimate level of success, watching him drag less than stellar teams to the playoffs and even an AFC championship was something to behold.
Tony Dungy is hired as coach
With an 85-27 record during his time in Indianapolis, Dungy took over for a franchise struggling to find its footing in its new city and helped lead the Colts to its first Super Bowl win. He took an abysmal Tampa Bay Buccaneers and built it into a winner as well with John Gruden reaping success the year following his departure. His calm and measured approach set the stage for how his team would handle the biggest of stages. His steady hand guided this franchise into its golden era and set the standard for all Colts teams thereafter. After years of futility and a string of subpar coaches, Dungy supplied the touch that was desperately needed.
Just like with all seeding, there is room to debate, but these four moves stand out as highly impactful to the Indianapolis Colts. Did I get it right? Will something edge them out? Stay tuned to find out.
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