Johnny Unitas (Credit: Marvin Newman, Sport Magazine)
The Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts have a great history. On the field that is. Off the field, we’ll call it colorful. We’re going to concentrate on the guys on the field. They had some great guys in the 50s and 60s. A few of those guys lasted to the mid and late 60s and found their way onto this list. They’ve also had some real talent in Indianapolis. Peyton Manning was one of the greatest QBs in NFL history. Johnny Unitas also fits that description. Andrew Luck would have been higher on this list if the Colts had been able to keep him in one piece.
I have an extra on this list, Bobby Boyd. I did this for a couple of reasons. First of all, he was a great player. Secondly, he looked like an accountant. Anybody that fills both of those boxes deserves to be on this list.
10a. Bobby Boyd:
Bobby is probably a sleeper on this list. First of all, Bobby was an average-sized bald white guy who looked more like an account than an NFL player. He kind of reminded me of Bob Newhart. On the field, he was a great cornerback. Boyd spent nine seasons with the Colts and picked off 57 passes. Bobby was named to the Pro Bowl three times as well as All-Pro the same three seasons. He led the NFL in picks with nine in 1965. Boyd also intercepted nine passes in 1964 and returned them a league-leading 185 yards. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Reference first-team All 60s team.
10. Mike Curtis:
Whether you were an opposing player or wayward fan who got out onto the field, Mike Curtis would belt you. Curtis played primarily middle linebacker during his 11 seasons with the Colts and made five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He accounted for 21 interceptions and recovered eight fumbles while with the Colts. Curtis was also an adept blitzer, unofficially racking up 25 sacks in his career. He also made a key interception in the Colts Super Bowl V win.
9. Jim Parker:
I went back a ways to get Parker on this list, but he was so dominant during the 50s and early to mid-60s I listed him. Parker started his career in 1957, and he retired after the 1967 season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and named All-Pro as an offensive left tackle four consecutive years. After that, he moved to left guard and was also named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro team for another four consecutive seasons. The last time was after the 1965 season. Parker was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All 50s team and Pro Football Reference’s second team All 60s team.
8. John Mackey:
When I looked at Mackey’s profile, I was shocked to see he was listed at only 224 pounds. The way he ran through opposing secondaries, I thought he was much bigger than that. Mackey spent nine seasons with the Colts, catching 320 passes for 5126 yards and 39 TDs. For those of us mathematically challenged, he averaged an impressive 16 yards per catch. John was named to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. To those of us who saw him play, he was truly an imposing athlete.
7. Dwight Freeney:
Freeney was a guy who could get to the QB.In his 11 seasons with the Colts, he sacked opposing QBs 107.5 times. He had seven seasons with double digits in sacks. His best season was 2004 when he led the NFL in 16 sacks. Freeney played in 17 playoff games for the Colts and picked up another nine sacks. Freeney was voted to seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He and Robert Mathis made quite a defensive duo for the Colts.
6. Robert Mathis:
Speaking of Robert Mathis. Mathis was truly a big-play guy on defense. In 13 seasons with the Colts Mathis rang up 123 sacks. He also forced an amazing 54 fumbles and recovered 17. Mathis converted two of those recovered fumbles in TDs. He also intercepted a pass. Apparently, that wasn’t his forte. Back to that forced fumble thing. He led the NFL in that category three times. His season-high was an astounding 10 in 2013. Not coincidentally he led the NFL in sacks that season with 19.5. He was named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams that season. In all, Robert was named to five Pro Bowls and the aforementioned 2013 All-Pro team. He also amassed 6.5 sacks in 11 playoff games and forced another five fumbles in the playoffs. The dude had a real knack for that forced fumble thing.
5. Reggie Wayne:
In the early 2000s the Colts had a pair of dynamic defenders in Freeney and Mathis. They also had a pair of dynamic receivers. Reggie Wayne was one of them. Wayne spent all 14 years of his NFL career with the Colts. He caught 1070 passes, good for 14,345 yards and 82 TDs. Wayne caught 100 or more passes in four seasons. He led the NFL in receiving yards with 1510 in 2007. In eight of his seasons, he had more than 1000 yards receiving. In 21 playoff games, his receiving line was 93–1254–9. Wayne was named to six Pro Bowls and the 2010 All-Pro team.
4. Andrew Luck:
Andrew spent six seasons with the Colts, being named to the Pro Bowl in four of those seasons. Luck threw for 171 TDs against 73 interceptions. He went 55–33 as a starter for the Colts. Andrew should actually still be playing for the Colts at a high level if his offensive line and body had held up better.
3. Marvin Harrison:
Marvin was the other half of the Colts’ dynamic pair of wide receivers from the early 2000s. Harrison, like Wayne, put up huge receiving numbers for the Colts. Harrison caught over 100 passes four times, maxing out with a whopping 143 in 2002. Marvin led the NFL in receptions twice. For his career, Harrison caught 1102 passes for 14,580 yards and 128 TDs. Harrison’s playoff production wasn’t quite as dynamic. In 16 games he caught 65 passes for 883 yards and two TDs. Harrison had a boatload of awards, including eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. . Marvin was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Reference first-team All 2000s team.
2. Johnny Unitas:
During the 60s Johnny was probably the consensus choice as the best QB in NFL history. Johnny was at his best in the late 50s and early 60s but was named All-Pro as late as 1967. Johnny was the NFL’s MVP in 1957, 1959, 1964, and 1967. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame first-team All 60s team and the Pro Football Reference second-team All 60s team. Johnny was selected to 10 Pro Bowls and named All-Pro five times. Unitas led the NFL in TD passes four times as well as passing yardage four times. On most teams, he’d easily be number one on the list.
1. Peyton Manning:
The Pro Football Reference lists 27 awards for Peyton Manning. I’m not going to list them all. The high points are NFL MVP in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009. He was also the Comeback Player of the Year in 2012 as well as the Super Bowl MVP in 2006. While Manning wasn’t as dominant in the playoffs, he’s easily one of the best QBs in NFL history. His surgical approach to the game was something to behold. He’s pretty good in commercials, too.
