It was in 1953 that the Baltimore Colts entered the league, competing as one of the earlier clubs in the National Football League. Since then, the Baltimore Colts, who would eventually become the Indianapolis Colts, have won three NFL Championships and two Super Bowl Championships. Today, the franchise plays in the AFC South division along with the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are five fun facts about the Indianapolis Colts.
5 Facts About the Indianapolis Colts
-
- After moving to Indianapolis for the 1984 season, the Colts first draft selection was DB Leonard Coleman. (source) Following the 1983 NFL season, the Baltimore Colts literally left the city in the middle of the night and relocated to Indianapolis. Soon after, the 1984 NFL Draft took place, and with their first draft selection in their new home, the Indianapolis Colts selected Cornerback Leonard Coleman out of Vanderbilt. He was taken with the eighth selection of the first round, but didn’t pan out for the Colts. He would only spend four seasons in Indianapolis (1984-1987) before finishing his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers (1988-1989). His final statistics from six seasons in the league consisted of just two fumble recoveries and six interceptions.
-
- The first ever win for the Indianapolis Colts came against the Houston Oilers. (source) The Colts had spent their first 31 seasons as a franchise in Baltimore, and made their way to Indianapolis for the 32nd season (1984). The Colts opened up that first season in Indianapolis with a 23-14 loss to the New York Jets, but were able to secure their first victory in their new city with a Week 2 win over the Houston Oilers on September 9, 1984 by a score of 35-21. The Colts would finish the 1984 season with a 4-12 record and miss the playoffs.
-
- In Indianapolis, the Colts have played their home games in two different stadiums. (source) From 1984 through the conclusion of the 2007 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts played all of their games in what originally called the Hoosier Dome (from 1984 through 1993) and would eventually be renamed the RCA Dome (from 1994 to 2007). The stadium was demolished in 2008, which is the season that the Colts moved to their current home in Lucas Oil Stadium. Oddly enough, the most attended ever at the Hoosier Dome was not a Colts home game, but rather WWF WrestleMania VIII in 1992, which saw an attendance of 62,167.
-
- The Colts hold the record for the most turnovers committed by a Super Bowl winning team. (source) Super Bowl V went down on January 17, 1971 and saw the Baltimore Colts defeat the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 16-13 to claim their first of two Lombardi Trophies. However, the Colts committed seven turnovers, which remains the most in NFL history for a Super Bowl winning team. Of the seven turnovers, three came from interceptions from Quarterbacks Earl Morrall (1) and Johnny Unitas (2).
-
- Of the franchise’s two Super Bowl victories, only one happened in Indianapolis. (source) The Colts only Super Bowl win in Indianapolis came in the 2006 season, where the club defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 29-17. In this game, Peyton Manning received the MVP award after going 25/38 for 247 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. The Colts would return to the Super Bowl following the 2009 NFL season, but would fall in that game to the New Orleans Saints.
The Colts are one of the most storied franchises in the National Football League. Do you have any other fun facts to share?
Featured image photo credit: Karen, 2008. Originally found on Flickr. Image was resized and cropped. Creative Commons 2.0.
