I think back to the 1998 draft when Peyton was drafted. At the time I was excited beyond belief and I knew it was the right choice. You could just tell Peyton had what it took to become a great QB in this league. I'd be lying if I told you, however, that I knew he would go on to become the greatest to ever play the game. I had a lot of hope that he would turn the franchise around into a winner again. The team had fallen hard and gone 3-13 the previous season, just 2 years after being one play away from the Super Bowl. Peyton was going to be the guy to turn it all around. Little did I know.
His first season was somewhat rough but there was a lot of promise there as well. I remember very vividly watching Peyton's first preseason pass, a touchdown to Marvin Harrison against Seattle. Hard to believe that was 14 years ago. Throughout the year, Peyton was making the rookie mistakes and throwing plenty of picks, but he was throwing for a ton of yards and touchdowns as well. The team still was not very good at all, and we went 3-13 again. But by the end of the year it was crystal clear that Peyton Manning was going to be our franchise QB for a very long time.
The next season, 1999, was when Peyton really blossomed and the team took off and began it's decade-plus era of dominance. It almost felt too good to be true at the time. The team went 13-3 and Peyton Manning was becoming one of the top QBs in the league. I remember I was in middle school at the time, and I would print out his stats every week and bring them to school, to show to the other kids who thought Peyton Manning wasn't the real deal, and the Colts would never become a winning team. Peyton's stats were near the top in every category and I literally rubbed it in their faces.
The next few years brought some ups and downs. A coaching change in 2002 led to Tony Dungy being brought in, and to me, that's when we really became one of the top franchises in the league. Irsay, Polian, Dungy, and Manning, all had a mission, and that was to win, but to win the right way. To put together a team that the community could be proud of, both on and off the field. And that's exactly what they did. That was Colts football. Peyton Manning's contributions to the city will be long lasting. All you have to do is drive by Lucas Oil Stadium and then head over to the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, both are buildings that Peyton essentially built. Soon there will be a statue outside of the stadium, too.
In the mid 2000s there were some painful playoff losses, most notably, of course, against the Pats. It just seemed like a hump we would never get over. In 2004, Peyton had a record breaking season in several regards, and won his second consecutive MVP award. By then, it was a given that he was the best QB in the league and on his way to being one of all time greats. Watching him play was unique and different than watching any other QB in history, because the way he ran the offense was different than anyone else had ever done it. The Colts often ran a no-huddle style, in which Manning would make the play call at the line of scrimmage, based on what he saw from the defense. Peyton's knowledge of the game allowed this type of system to be implemented. His commitment to his team, and the game of football, was unprecedented. He spent more time preparing, watching film, and practicing than any other player in NFL history, by far. That's what really set Peyton apart, in my book.
By 2006 any Colt fan was used to winning at least 12 games every season and going into the playoffs as a favorite. 2006 was no different, but the team began to stumble toward the end of the year, and our defense was widely viewed as being not good enough to win in the playoffs. We entered the playoffs without having a first round bye, which was a rarity for us, and literally no one giving us any chance to go far, much less win the Super Bowl. In the first round we shut down one of the top rushing teams in the game, the Chiefs, and won handily. Round two was at Baltimore, a team that we were supposedly not "tough enough" to beat on the road. We did just that in a very close game, which was sealed with several precision passes to Dallas Clark in the 4th quarter. Next up was the AFC Championship against, guess who, the Patriots. It just seemed like destiny that we would have to play the Patriots on our road to the Super Bowl. It didn't look pretty when we started the game down 21-3.
That game reminded me a lot of when we were 3-13 two seasons in a row and everyone said we'd be in the league basement for the long haul. I always believe the team would turn it around. And I knew that, in this game, 21-3 was not an insurmountable deficit, not when we had PM on our sideline. Sure enough, the team chipped away, and got back in the game. When we finally pulled ahead for the game winning TD and then picked off Brady on the final drive, the feeling was just amazing. I'll never forget it. To beat the Patriots in that fashion to get to the Super Bowl, you just couldn't script it better. Winning the Super Bowl almost felt like an afterthought, because I was pretty sure the Colts would win that game. When they did, it was the realization of what I'd been envisioning for ten years. All the playoff losses and previous shortcomings made it that much sweeter. The COLTS were World Champions, and no one could take that away!
All the memories, all the good times, I will be forever grateful for. I never took it for granted and appreciated it for what it was; I was watching a once in a lifetime talent play for my team. At the same time, I did not, in a million years, expect it to end so suddenly like this. But that's football for you. Nothing's guaranteed, much like in real life. I wish Peyton Manning absolutely the best for next season. I hope he's ready to go for training camp and comes out playing like the same old Peyton Manning we've known. He deserves that. For all the endless hours of work and rehab he has put in this past year, he deserves to play again for a contender. And I will always root for him to do well. When the time comes to retire his number and unveil his statue outside LOS, I will be there. Peyton may finish his career in another jersey, but make no mistake, he will ALWAYS be a Colt.
Now, as a Colts, fan, it's back to square one, where we were in 1998. We have another hot shot #1 QB coming in from the draft. We have a new GM and coach. But make no mistake, no matter how good Luck is, not matter how many yards and touchdowns he throws for, and no matter how many championships he brings to Indy, there will never be another Peyton Manning. And Luck will never be able to match what Peyton meant to this team and city.
