INDIANAPOLIS —
The parade of former Indianapolis Colts players and coaches continues today when the Green Bay Packers take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
From cornerbacks Tim Jennings and Kelvin Hayden in the regular-season opener with the Chicago Bears to former assistant coaches Leslie Frazier and Alan Williams, now with the Vikings, to outside linebacker Clint Session with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts have certainly spent some time going down memory lane through the first three games of the year.
This afternoon, its center Jeff Saturday, who is in his first season with the Packers. Saturday was a five-time Pro Bowl selection in Indianapolis, a team captain and one of the most familiar faces on the roster. A fan favorite, he was not re-signed this past offseason and was one of several long-time Colts to depart in the midst of a major franchise reboot.
During a recent teleconference with Indianapolis media, Saturday admitted that after his long association with the Colts, it’s going to feel a little strange coming into town as a member of the opposing team.
“You know man, it’s mixed emotions. Obviously you’re coming back with a job at hand, but I spent my whole career there. You’re 13 years not only on a football team, but helping build a community. My wife and I for so many years have been so involved. You’ve got mixed emotions,” he voiced.
“It’s never easy to be on the other side. I obviously have so much respect for the Colts and their organization. It’s always tough. But you’re coming back with a job to get a win and that’s what we’re going down for.”
Even though Saturday is trying to look at today’s game as just another business trip, he’s smart enough to realize that won’t be the case. Far from it.
“I don’t know. I’m going in and I’m sure it’s going to be tough seeing everybody and hanging around. But ultimately I have a job to do and I consider myself a pro and I know I’ve got to go out there and do my job and play well,” he said.
“The Colts defense has played well. They’re very aggressive up front so we’ve got our work cut out for us keeping them off of Aaron [Rodgers] and being able to open up some holes. I know I’ve got a job and I can’t get caught up in all the emotions of it, I’m going to have to separate that. Then maybe on the way out, I’ll get a little emotional then.”
One thing Saturday can expect. Over the years, when a former Colts player has returned with another team, the organization has put together a video honoring the player’s accomplishments while in Indianapolis. It usually occurs between the third and fourth quarters.
“I hope it’s a good one. I hope they put some good stuff up there. You appreciate it. As a player, man I gave the same as I’m doing here. I gave everything I had. I played as hard as I could,” he said. “I felt like I led the team on and off the field and did the best job that I could. I’m proud of the time that I was there and always look fondly upon that time.”
Saturday acknowledged, somewhat jokingly, that one of his biggest challenges today will be not ending up on the wrong sideline or in the wrong locker room.
“I don’t know, man. The crazy thing is I don’t think I’ve ever even been to the visitors’ locker room in Indy. I don’t even know where I’m going to be. It’s all going to look different … ,” he said.
“You’re so accustomed to seeing that blue and the horseshoe and the whole deal. Hopefully I don’t jog the wrong way early. I’ll turn around and head back towards the right side.”
Looking back over his career in Indianapolis, Saturday said that while the team’s success was nice, it was the relationships with his teammates, the coaches and the people in the building on West 56th Street that he misses the most.
“When you’re around a place for so long, I knew where everybody’s office was, I knew who was in charge of everything. Just getting accustomed to that, where’s the equipment room, where’s the equipment room? All those things are things you’ve just got to get used to,” he voiced.
“The culture of teams is so different. Just getting accustomed to all that has taken time and I feel like I’m in the groove here. I’m happy I’m here and it’s been fun to do.”
The question now is just how long Saturday remains with the Packers. He signed a two-year, $2.7 million contract with Green Bay in the offseason. Retirement was an option after last season, but he still had the desire to play.
“You know, I gave it it’s due consideration. I didn’t know what I was going to do to be very frank. I think I made that frank with everybody. I was going to give myself time to decide. I went through it, my wife and I prayed about it and talked about it,” he recalled.
“I felt like there was a very good opportunity for me in Green Bay. It got me excited. I got excited about the opportunity up here and decided a couple more years wouldn’t be too bad of a deal so I decided to head this way and I’m happy with the decision.”
One thing is certain. Whenever he does decide to call it quits, he will be returning to Indianapolis to live. He did not sell his house in the area when he signed with Green Bay. He wants to remain a Hoosier.
“I think Indy is eventually my home. That’s what my family, my wife, all three of my kids are Hoosiers. That’s what we know. Our church is there, my kids’ schools, everything is back there. We have made Indy our home for the 13 years I was there. We still have our home there and we’ll go back in the offseason,” Saturday said.
“I’m not planning to make any changes with that. I love that community and I’ve been very involved, and my wife has been very involved for so many years. I’m not going to pull up roots just because I’m not playing football. It’s a great place to raise a family and I’m very proud of the community I live in.”
Is there more of a future with the Colts at some point? Maybe.
“I don’t know. I know [team owner] Jim [Irsay] has made it very clear that the opportunity would be there. I’ll look at it. I strongly considered it this time. He made it an option before I even came back and played football. Jim has treated me as well as you could possibly ask for as an owner,” he praised.
“[Colts vice-president] Pete Ward the same way. Those guys have been just fantastic to me and have made it very clear that I’d be offered something and they would love me to be around the organization. To a man who’s worked as hard and given as much as I have to that organization, that feels awfully good.”
Colts
Saturday feeling strange about returning to Indy with Packers
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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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