INDIANAPOLIS —
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012) and a two-time first-team All-Pro honoree (2005, 2007), the former North Carolina standout signed a one-day contract with the Colts. He then offered an emotional and heartfelt goodbye to old friends, former teammates and coaches and long-time team employees.
“Back in Blue! That’s a good thing to say. First I just want to thank everybody for coming out [for his goodbye press conference]. It does not go unnoticed. This [large of a turnout for a retirement announcement] does not happen for many players, especially many offensive linemen,” Saturday said Thursday afternoon.
“I’m truly grateful and humbled for this opportunity. When [team owner] Mr. [Jim] Irsay and I were talking about [retiring as a member of the franchise], it was something that meant a lot to me and meant a lot to him as well. I’m excited to retire as a Colt. I mean, this is my home. This is what we’ve supported for so many years. I was known, no matter what team I was playing for, as a Colt. So it’s good to put that horseshoe on and go out that way.”
Playing in Indianapolis during the team’s recent glory run, which included a pair of Super Bowl appearances (2006, 2009), has meant a lot to the Tucker, Ga., native and his family.
“First, I just want to say thank you to Mr. Irsay and the Colts organization. I tell you, you could not ask for a more classy organization. You couldn’t ask for a man and an owner who gave more to my wife and I for the endeavors that we do in the community. He was always there, no matter on the field or off the field. That’s rare in this business that he is as interactive as he is with his players, not only giving them his money and his time but helping us with pavilions and places to set things up. That was truly one of the things I admired most about him,” Saturday said.
“Next are the fans and the community. The fans in Indianapolis are the greatest ever. I’ve had my share of going other places, I’ve played on the road a number of times, and there is not a better group of people to support a football team than the Colts fans. Every time I walked out onto that field I knew it was a blessing to be out in front of you. You supported us. You challenged us when we didn’t show up the way we should have. I’m very appreciative of all the support you’ve given us. The community here, you’re my wife and I’s heart.”
Being back in Indiana has meant a lot to the Saturday family. Even though he played with the Packers last season, his wife and children remained in Indianapolis. It’s home.
“That’s the reason we’re back in Indianapolis. We love living here. We love being a part of it. The people in this community, in this area, support each other and give to each other and we’re grateful to be a part of it. Hopefully we’ve given back some of what you’ve given to us because I could not feel more supported,” Saturday said.
“Even coming back from Green Bay, how many people sent me letters and emails and petitions about rejoining the Colts and all kinds of things that are just way above and beyond what people expect and what my expectations have been. Again I really appreciate all of what you’ve given us.”
Thoughts on his coaches in Indianapolis: “I’ve been very fortunate in my NFL career to have some fantastic coaches. The three head coaches I was under here with [Jim] Mora, [Tony] Dungy and [Jim] Caldwell were fantastic, Dungy and Caldwell especially as I got older in my career. Not just great coaches but great mentors for my life. The faith example they set for me, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to be taught. I truly respect those men. Those are some fantastic men above and beyond football and I’m very fortunate to have them.
“The [offensive] coordinator I played for most of my career, Tom Moore, and Clyde Christensen in my last year. I mean, wow, to have the offenses we had for so many years, these guys know what they’re doing. They were a blast to play for and I really enjoyed it. My offensive line coaches being Howard Mudd and Pete Metzelaars and Ron Prince my last years, they made me who I am.”
His personal Colts Hall of Fame: “These are the guys that I played with for the most of my time. I start Marvin Harrison, Tarik Glenn, Peyton Manning, Hunter Smith, Reggie Wayne, Justin Snow, Ryan Diem, Dwight Freeney, Raheem Brock, Dallas Clark, Robert Mathis, Bob Sanders, Ryan Lilja, Jim Sorgi. I mean I think of every one of those guys and I could tell you stories about each and every one of them. Those men had a tremendous impact on my life.”
His children (Jeffrey, Savannah, Joshua): “This is my perspective in life. When I come home every day, this is what I get, win or lose, playing bad, playing good, whatever the press is saying about me, they keep it real with their dad. They keep me the man that I am and they keep me so happy to come home. Part of the reason why I’m really excited about retiring is being able to spend more time with them. I love them and they’re a blast to be around.”
His wife Karen: “[She is] probably is the most selfless person I’ve ever been around. I appreciate [her] letting me live my dream because [she] did. All the tickets, all the organizations, all the things that she does for our family as I’m preparing to play this game. She made my life what it is and she’s so fantastic in the community. She’s so fantastic to her friends and the people she loves. She’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met. It’s just been an incredible marriage. I’ve been around long enough to know they don’t come around that often, a wife this great. She’s my bride, we have so much fun. We’ve got a lot to look forward to and I’m excited about that. She is my true companion and it’s very special to have her in my life and to be able to go through this experience.”
Playing with Peyton Manning: “I like to tell people I rode his coattails for a long time. He is an incredible teammate. He’s probably, not probably, one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around. In fact, my experience in Green Bay gave me even more insight to how special he is as a player, and as a teammate. I really enjoyed my time with him. We used to call him ‘coach Manning’ and used to bust him up about how hard he worked. He showed up early. He left late. He led by example. He never expected you to give anything that he wasn’t going to give himself. The relationship between a center and a quarterback is special. We loved each other but we could fight each other as well. We could bump heads and there was always a mutual respect. It never got any further than that. It was always on the field. Off the field, we were friends.”
Favorite memory with the Colts: “The [2006] AFC championship game trumps them all for me. Getting to recover a fumble for a touchdown, get to slay the Patriots, all those things, and the offensive line play in that game was probably the best we had played. We took that game over. So the five of us imposed our will on those guys. There are very few big games where you watch that happen and to be a part of that was super special. That’s the one for me, even above the Super Bowl. That’s the one for me.”
Thoughts on being away from Indianapolis for a year: “Going [to Green Bay], it made me realize what I had here for so long. I don’t think as a player when you’re in it, it really hits you or dons on you how great what we were involved with was. Like you said, being the No. 1 franchise over 10 years or whatever all those things were. Those are just kind of accolades you kind of move through when you’re playing because you are ready to move onto the next and keep going. To see it when you’re outside of it and see how other people viewed us and continue to view us is really special. I don’t think many players get that perspective.”
Colts
Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.
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Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. -
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.
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Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.
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Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available. -
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.
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Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick. -
Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft. -
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012). -
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.” -
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.
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Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit. -
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media. -
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards. -
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
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Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.
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Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks. -
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.
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Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular. -
Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. -
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round. -
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.
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Colts’ new offensive coordinator will offer variety
Quarterback Andrew Luck running the Pistol offense? Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton lining up in the Wildcat?
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Colts moving on to the off season
Moving on. That’s the immediate plans for the Indianapolis Colts as they head into the off season.
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Baltimore ends Indy’s playoff run early
The Baltimore Ravens want one long final ride for Ray Lewis. Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Colts, they now face a more imposing challenge.
Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. -
Switching sides: Colts-Ravens matchup includes old friends on new teams
Just as Baltimore Ravens players and coaches will be seeing some old friends returning to M&T Bank Stadium today, several Indianapolis Colts veterans will also have an opportunity to renew acquaintances with a familiar face.
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Pagano prepares Colts for tough crowd in Baltimore
As a former resident of Baltimore, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano knows all about the hard feelings that still run strong about the move of the Colts franchise to Indianapolis in 1984.
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Pagano marvels at Colt’s progress
In the minutes after last Sunday’s win over AFC South champion Houston, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano marveled at how the 2012 season has progressed for his team.
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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