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99-569: The Texans players and assets were moved to Baltimore in 1953, and then to Indianapolis in 1983, where they now operate as the Colts , just 117 miles west of their origin. The original Dayton Triangles members first began playing together as basketball players at St. Mary's College, now the University of Dayton , from 1908 until 1912. After graduation, the players organized a basketball team of alumni, students, and other local athletes. They went by

198-555: A 'Great American City'. The Hoosier Dome , which was later renamed the RCA Dome, had been built specifically for, and was ready to host, an NFL expansion team. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, the situation worsened. The Maryland General Assembly intervened when a bill was introduced to give the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the team by eminent domain . As a result, Irsay began serious negotiations with Hudnut to move

297-679: A 10–6 record and a playoff berth. They won a wild card game against their division rival Houston Texans before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. Luck, benefiting from the Colts' best offensive line of his career, was named the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year. Colts General Manager Chris Ballard achieved a historic feat in 2018 when two players he had drafted that year, guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Shaquille Leonard were both named First-Team All-Pro. This

396-663: A 12–4 record and entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, this time as the number three seed in the AFC. The Colts won their first two playoff games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens to return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2003 playoffs, where they faced their rivals, the New England Patriots . In a classic game, the Colts overcame

495-727: A 1917 match between the Bulldogs and the Jeffs. On Friday, August 20, 1920, Hay met in Canton with the managers of the Akron Pros , Cleveland Tigers , and Dayton Triangles to form the American Professional Football Conference. The Akron delegation consisted of Frank Nied and Art Ranney . While Jimmy O'Donnell and Stan Cofall represented Cleveland, and Carl Storck Dayton. At the meeting Hay

594-610: A 21–3 first-half deficit to win the game 38–34 and earned a trip to Super Bowl XLI , the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance since 1970 and for the first based in Indianapolis. The Colts faced the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl, winning the game 29–17 and giving Manning, Polian, Irsay, and Dungy, as well as the city of Indianapolis, their first Super Bowl title. Following their Super Bowl championship,

693-417: A championship, the Bulldogs did not draw well. Not enough fans came to games to pay for the high-priced salaries owed to the players. Hay lost money. To combat the increasing salaries, as well as the issue of players jumping from team to team, Hay sought to form a league. The league idea came from Canton's star halfback, Jim Thorpe , who in turn heard the idea from Rochester Jeffersons owner Leo Lyons during

792-530: A draftee of the New ;York Yankees baseball club, forced a trade to Denver . Behind an improved defense the team finished 7–9 in 1983 , but that would be their last season in Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts played their final home game in Baltimore on December 18, 1983, against the Houston Oilers . Irsay continued to request upgrades to Memorial Stadium or construction of a new stadium. As

891-731: A lack of seats. The resulting organization operated for two years as the American Professional Football Association before its name was changed to the National Football League in 1922. The ten original franchises were from four states. The Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles from Ohio; the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana ; the Rochester Jeffersons from New York ; and

990-528: A local dealership. After several years selling cars, Hay went into the car business for himself. He set up the Ralph E. Hay Motor Company, and sold Jordan Hupmobiles and Pierce-Arrows . Hay became one of the most successful automobile dealers in the state of Ohio . In 1918, at the age of 27, Hay acquired the Canton Bulldogs from Jack Cusack , when Cusack decided to return to Oklahoma and compete in

1089-790: A loss to the Houston Texans in the season finale. Ralph Hay Ralph Edward Hay (January 12, 1891 – July 29, 1944) was the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 through the 1922 season. However, he is mostly recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that would later form the American Professional Football Association, later called the National Football League (NFL). Hay attended high school in Canton, Ohio . Following graduation, at age 18, went to work as an automobile salesman for

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1188-494: A modern record for fewest punt returns (12). The following year, the offense collapsed, including a game against the Buffalo Bills where the Colts' offense did not cross mid-field the entire game. The Colts finished 0–8–1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, thereby earning the right to select Stanford quarterback John Elway with the first overall pick. Elway, however, refused to play for Baltimore, and using leverage as

1287-664: A professional American football team based in Indianapolis . The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 season , the Colts have played their games in Lucas Oil Stadium . Previously, the team had played for over two decades (1984–2007) at the RCA Dome . Since 1987, the Colts have served as

1386-479: A result of the poor performance on the field and the stadium issues, fan attendance and team revenue continued to dwindle. City officials were precluded from using tax-payer funds for the building of a new stadium, and the modest proposals that were offered by the city were not acceptable to either the Colts or the city's MLB franchise the Orioles . However, all sides continued to negotiate. Relations between Irsay and

1485-522: A seating capacity of 5,000, rarely saw that many fans. Soon, the combination of poor home gates and the lure of $ 2,500 guarantees to play at larger venues (like Wrigley Field , Comiskey Park and the Polo Grounds ), made the Triangles primarily a traveling team . By the late twenties, Dayton was one of the league's doormats, winning just five of their 51 NFL contests from 1923 through 1929. Only

1584-495: A settlement in March 1986. Under the agreement, all lawsuits regarding the relocation were dismissed, and the Colts agreed to endorse a new NFL team for Baltimore. Upon the Colts' arrival in Indianapolis over 143,000 requests for season tickets were received in just two weeks. The move did not change the recent fortune of the Colts, with the team appearing in the postseason only once in the first 11 seasons in Indianapolis. During

1683-499: A strong team in Canton during the early 1920s, signing three future Hall of Famers in tackle Wilbur Henry , tackle Roy "Link" Lyman , and end Guy Chamberlin . When Chamberlin took over as coach in 1922 from Cap Edwards , the Bulldogs went undefeated and won the NFL championship. However, Hay continued to lose money with the Bulldogs. Before the 1923 season, he sold the team to a group of local businessmen. The Bulldogs went on to win

1782-529: A trade during the 1987 season , and went on to compile a 9–6 record, thereby winning the AFC East and advancing to the postseason for the first time in Indianapolis; they lost that game to the Cleveland Browns . Following 1987, the Colts did not see any real success for quite some time, with the team missing the postseason for seven consecutive seasons. The struggles came to a climax in 1991 when

1881-540: Is also known for the Ghost to the Post play. These consecutive championship teams featured 1976 NFL Most Valuable Player Bert Jones at quarterback and an outstanding defensive line, nicknamed the "Sack Pack". Following the 1970s success, the team endured nine consecutive losing seasons beginning in 1978 . In 1981 , the Colts defense allowed an NFL-record 533 points, set an all-time record for fewest sacks (13), and also set

1980-590: Is now Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens). The All America Football Conference began play in the 1946 season. In its second year, the franchise assigned to the Miami Seahawks was relocated to Maryland 's major commercial and manufacturing city of Baltimore . After a fan contest, the team was renamed the Baltimore Colts and used the team colors of silver and green. The Colts played for

2079-580: The 1958 NFL Championship Game , which is considered to be among the greatest contests in professional football history. The Colts defeated the Giants 23–17 in the first game to utilize the overtime rule, a game seen by 45 million persons. Following the Colts first NFL championship, the team posted a 9–3 record during the 1959 season and once again defeated the Giants in the NFL Championship Game to claim their second title. Following

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2178-539: The 1972 season , starting quarterback and legend Johnny Unitas was traded to the San ;Diego Chargers . Following Unitas' departure, the Colts made the playoffs three consecutive seasons from 1975 to 1977, losing in the divisional round each time. The Colts' 1977 playoff loss in double overtime against the Oakland Raiders was famous for the fact that it was the last playoff game for the Colts in Baltimore and

2277-406: The 1984 season , the first in Indianapolis, the team went 4–12 and accounted for the lowest offensive yardage in the league. The 1985 and 1986 teams combined for only eight wins, including an 0–13 start in 1986 which prompted the firing of head coach Rod Dowhower , who was replaced by Ron Meyer . The Colts, however, did receive eventual Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson as a result of

2376-453: The 2022 season with a record of 4–12–1, their lowest win total since 2017. Coming off their lowest win total since 2017, the Colts decided not to retain interim head coach Jeff Saturday and on February 14, 2023, they hired Shane Steichen as their new head coach. Later in the offseason, the Colts released quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Nick Foles . The Colts would go on to select Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson with

2475-912: The Brooklyn Dodgers and played as the Brooklyn-New York Yankees. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the Yankees players were divided between the New York Giants and the New York Bulldogs, the latter of whom were renamed the New York Yanks . Due to heavy financial losses, the Yanks were sold back to the NFL in 1952 and awarded to a group from Texas, who moved them to Dallas for the 1952 season as

2574-733: The Columbus Panhandles . It also won its third city championship. The team was reorganized in 1916 as a recreational football team from among the employees of three downtown Dayton factories: the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (or Delco ), the Dayton Metal Products Company, and the Domestic Engineering Company (now called Delco-Light). Carl Storck , who later served as treasurer of

2673-602: The Dallas Texans . The Texans were again sold back to the NFL midway through the season, and in 1953, their players were awarded to an ownership group in Baltimore and continued to play as the (new) Baltimore Colts . The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 and are still playing as the Indianapolis Colts . In spite of the unbroken continuity of the franchises that began with the Triangles in 1913 and

2772-611: The Miami Valley . In 1973, the Dayton Triangles RFC club was founded. Like the aforementioned soccer club, this team also took its name from the original football team and city park. Through various amalgamations over the years, the club is still active under the name of the Dayton Area Rugby Club . †= Never played in the league Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are

2871-542: The New York Yanks in 1950, and many of the players from the New York Yankees of the former competing All-America Football Conference (1946–49) were added to the team to begin playing in the newly merged League for the 1950 season. The Yanks then moved to Dallas in Texas after the 1951 season having competed for two seasons, but played their final two "home" games of the 1952 season as a so-called "road team" at

2970-559: The Oakland Raiders 27–17. Baltimore went on to win the first post-merger Super Bowl ( Super Bowl V ), defeating the National Football Conference 's Dallas Cowboys 16–13 on a Jim O'Brien field goal with five seconds left to play. The victory gave the Colts their fourth NFL championship and first Super Bowl victory. Following the championship, the Colts returned to the playoffs in 1971 and defeated

3069-562: The Rock Island Independents , Decatur Staleys , and Racine Cardinals from Illinois . Four other franchises the Buffalo All-Americans , Chicago Tigers , Columbus Panhandles , and Detroit Heralds would join the league later that year. Hay was asked to become the league's president, however he suggested that Jim Thorpe take the position on the belief that his fame would enhance the league. Hay built

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3168-721: The Rubber Bowl football stadium in Akron, Ohio . The NFL considers the Texans and Colts to be separate teams, although many of the earlier teams shared the same colors of blue and white. Thus, the Indianapolis Colts are legally considered to be a 1953 expansion team . The current version of the Colts football team played their first season in Baltimore in 1953 , where the team compiled a 3–9 record under first-year head coach Keith Molesworth . The franchise struggled during

3267-532: The Toledo Maroons , Hammond Pros , Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds . The Triangles went 8–0–0 in 1918, one of two known teams to have collected a perfect record of more than five games that year, the other being the Buffalo Niagaras , whose 6–0–0 record was collected as a result of playing only teams from Buffalo and who built their team on many of the players left out of work because of

3366-551: The oil industry . Hay had planned to use the team to help promote his car business and pursue his love of football. At the time the Bulldogs were the top team in the unofficial " Ohio League ", winning championships in 1916 and 1917. The team did not compete much in 1918 due to manning issues related to the United States involvement in World War I . However, in 1919, the Bulldogs again won the championship. Despite winning

3465-407: The 14th playoff berth for the club since 1995 . The season ended in a 24–9 playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens . Two weeks into the 2013 season, the Colts traded their first-round selection in the 2014 NFL draft to the Cleveland Browns for running back Trent Richardson . In Week 7, Luck led the Colts to a 39–33 win over his predecessor, Peyton Manning , and

3564-600: The 1923 NFL Championship and became the first NFL team to win back-to-back league titles. On April 27, 1961, Canton was selected by the NFL as the site for the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The efforts of Hay and the Bulldogs were offered as proof for the shrine to be located in Canton. While Hay has not yet been enshrined in the Hall, the city of Canton put up a plaque on the Bow Federal building in downtown Canton,

3663-559: The 1999 team. The 2000 team went 10–6 and had their season end in the Wild Card Round with a loss to the Miami Dolphins. Pressure began to mount on team administration and the coaching staff following a 6–10 season in 2001. Mora was fired at the end of the season and was replaced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy . Dungy and the team quickly changed the atmosphere of the organization and returned to

3762-603: The AFC, following the 1970 merger . While in Baltimore, the team advanced to the playoffs ten times and won three NFL Championship games in 1958 , 1959 , and 1968 . The Baltimore Colts played in two Super Bowl games, losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl ;III and defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V . The Colts relocated to Indianapolis in 1984 and have since appeared in

3861-599: The Boston Yanks from 1944, the NFL and the Colts organization currently do not consider the Colts to be a continuation of the Triangles or any other franchise. During the 1970s, the Dayton Triangles Soccer Club revived the name and enjoyed some success and recognition as a successful youth (and later semi-pro) soccer club. Like the football team, they took their name from the same city park and played an important role in development of soccer in

3960-716: The Cleveland Browns in the first round, but lost to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Citing friction with the City of Baltimore and the local press, Rosenbloom traded the Colts franchise to Robert Irsay on July 13, 1972, and received the Los ;Angeles Rams in return. Under the new ownership, the Colts did not reach the postseason for three consecutive seasons after 1971, and after

4059-429: The Colts compiled a 13–3 record during the 2007 season ; they lost to the San Diego Chargers in the divisional playoffs , in what was the final game the Colts played at the RCA Dome before moving into Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008 . The 2008 season began with Manning being sidelined for most of the pre-season due to surgery. Indianapolis began the season with a 3–4 record, but then won nine consecutive games to end

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4158-555: The Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars for the team's 300th win in the Indianapolis era, with a record of 300–267. Despite a promising 5–2 start and strong seasons from Leonard, Nelson, and newly acquired defensive end Justin Houston , the Colts struggled in the second half of the 2019 season with new starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett at the helm and finished the year with a 7–9 record. On March 17, 2020,

4257-499: The Colts finished the season 9–8 after an upset loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that eliminated the Colts from playoff contention. The Colts then traded Wentz and a second round pick to the Washington Commanders in exchange for three draft picks. On March 21, 2022, the Colts traded a 2022 third-round pick for longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan . After playing seven games in which he threw for nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also fumbling 11 times, Ryan

4356-463: The Colts lost their first 13 games and finished the season with a 2–14 record, enough to receive the first overall pick in the 2012 draft . Immediately following the season, team president Bill Polian was fired, ending his 14-year tenure with the team. The change built the anticipation of the organization's decision regarding Manning's future with the team. The Peyton Manning era came to an end on March 8, 2012, when Jim Irsay announced that Manning

4455-441: The Colts regressed and went 3–13 during the 1997 season . Along with the disappointing season, the principal owner and man who moved the team to Indianapolis, Robert Irsay, died in January 1997 after years of declining health. Jim Irsay, Robert Irsay's son, entered the role of principal owner following his father's death and quickly began to change the organization. Irsay replaced general manager Tobin with Bill Polian in 1997 as

4554-534: The Colts signed longtime Los Angeles Chargers quarterback and eight-time Pro Bowler Philip Rivers to a one-year deal worth $ 25 million. Rivers led the Colts to an 11–5 record and a playoff berth, where they then lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the NFL's first expanded playoffs. On March 17, 2021, the Colts traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 second-round conditional pick for former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz . Despite an All-Pro season from running back Jonathan Taylor ,

4653-451: The Colts' third NFL Championship and made an appearance in Super Bowl III . Leading up to the Super Bowl and following the 34–0 trouncing of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship , many were calling the 1968 Colts team one of the "greatest pro football teams of all time" and were favored by 18 points against their counterparts from the American Football League , the New York Jets . The Colts, however, were stunned by

4752-431: The Columbus Panhandles at Triangle Park. The high point of the Triangles' 1920 season was a 20–20 tie at Triangle Park with Thorpe's Canton Bulldogs; it was the first time a team had scored three touchdowns on the Bulldogs since 1915. Trailing the Triangles, 20–14, Thorpe nailed two late field goals to tie the score. Six games into the season, the Triangles remained undefeated (4–0–2) but in the final three games lost twice to

4851-452: The Dayton City Championship. They also won the Southern Ohio Championship by defeating the Cincinnati Celts 27–0 at Redland Park . The team won a second city championship in 1914, despite injuries to Al Mahrt and Babe Zimmerman . In 1915 the team changed its name to the Dayton Gym-Cadets after their presumed sponsors, the Dayton Gymnastic Club. That season saw Al Marhrt take over as the team's coach. The team only lost one game that season, to

4950-466: The Indianapolis Colts in 1995 and advanced to the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers , coming just a Hail Mary pass reception away from a trip to Super Bowl XXX . Marchibroda retired following the 1995 season and was replaced by Lindy Infante in 1996. In the 1996 season, the Colts went 9–7 and had their season end in the Wild Card Round with a 42–14 loss to the PIttsburgh Steelers. After two consecutive playoff appearances,

5049-413: The Jets was the last game for Peyton Manning as a Colt. After missing the preseason, Manning was ruled out for the Colts' opening game in Houston and eventually the entire 2011 season . Taking over as starter was veteran quarterback Kerry Collins , who had been signed to the team after dissatisfaction with backup quarterback Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky . However, even with a veteran quarterback,

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5148-438: The Jets, who won the game 16–7 in the first Super Bowl victory for the young AFL. The result of the game surprised many in the sports media as Joe Namath and Matt Snell led the Jets to the Super Bowl victory under head coach Weeb Ewbank, who had previously won two NFL Championships with the Colts. Rosenbloom of the Colts, Art Modell of the Browns, and Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to have their teams join

5247-424: The NFL and as acting league president from 1939 to 1941, co-sponsored the Dayton Cadets and used players recruited from the three factories to fill out the team roster. Storck would later become the team's manager, while Bud Talbott , a Walter Camp All-American tackle and team captain at Yale University , was named the team's coach. The team's name was also changed to the Dayton Triangles that season. In 1916,

5346-442: The Ohio League teams' suspension. In 1919, they followed up their championship with a season record of 4–2–1. At the first meetings held on August 20, 1920, and September 17, 1920, at Ralph Hay 's Hupmobile dealership located in Canton, Ohio , the Triangles were represented by their manager Carl Storck as they became charter members of the new league called the American Professional Football Association (APFA), until 1922 when it

5445-414: The Patriots, the Colts began the 2005 season with a 13–0 record, including a regular season victory over the Patriots , the first in the Manning era. During the season, Manning and Marvin Harrison broke the NFL record for touchdowns by a quarterback and receiver tandem. Indianapolis finished the 2005 season with a 14–2 record, the best record in the league that year and the best in a 16 games season for

5544-457: The Ralph Hay Award which is awarded for "lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography." In 2020, Hay was named a finalist for that year's class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor for the first time, but was not elected. He was named a semifinalist in 2022. Hay was married to Esther Becker, who had previously served as his secretary. They had one daughter. She lived to have multiple children. The family's generation

5643-459: The Triangles went 9–1, defeating teams from Cincinnati , Detroit , Toledo and Pittsburgh . The Canton Bulldogs , with the legendary Jim Thorpe in the line-up, claimed the "Ohio League" Championship after their win over the Massillon Tigers . The Triangles challenged the Bulldogs to a game on December 10, 1916, but the game was never played. The following season saw the Triangles move into their new park, Triangle Park . The team's 1917 campaign

5742-436: The burgeoning league. Finally, on July 12, 1930, a Brooklyn -based syndicate headed by Bill Dwyer bought the Triangles; the franchise moved to Brooklyn and was renamed the Brooklyn Dodgers . Jack Depler was a co-owner and new coach of the Dodgers who had been a coach-player for the NFL's Orange Tornadoes . He took most of the members of the 1929 Tornadoes with him for the new Dodgers team. Due to numerous transactions over

5841-436: The city of Baltimore deteriorated. Although Irsay assured fans that his ultimate desire was to stay in Baltimore, he nevertheless began discussions with several other cities willing to build new football stadiums, eventually narrowing the list of cities to Indianapolis and Phoenix. Under the administration of mayors Richard Lugar and then William Hudnut , Indianapolis had undertaken an ambitious effort to reinvent itself into

5940-412: The completion of the 2009 season, the Colts had finished the first decade of the 2000s (2000–2009) with the most regular-season wins (115) and highest winning percentage (.719) of any team in the NFL during that span. The 2010 team compiled a 10–6 record, the first time the Colts did not win 12 games since 2002, and lost to the New York Jets in the wild card round of the playoffs. The loss to

6039-470: The end of the 1998 season and showed continued growth in 1999 . Indianapolis drafted Edgerrin James in 1999 and continued to improve their roster heading into the upcoming season. The Colts went 13–3 in 1999 and finished first in the AFC East , their first division title since 1987. Indianapolis lost to the eventual AFC champion Tennessee Titans in the divisional playoffs . The 2000 and 2001 Colts teams were considerably less successful compared to

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6138-470: The eventual league champion, the Akron Pros , ending 1920 with a 5–2–2 mark. In 1922, the other teams in the NFL were recruiting and signing top college players from around the country; however Dayton continued to use mainly local players. This marked a decline in the team's performance, and the Triangles ceased being competitive in the NFL. Because of their poor showing on the field, the Triangles were not able to draw crowds for home games: Triangle Park, with

6237-411: The few other teams still playing, far less competition for the talent pool. This allowed the Triangles to keep a team on the field and beat what few representative teams remained and eventually claiming an Ohio League Championship. The Triangle player-coach that season was Earle "Greasy" Neale , since Bud Talbott joined the army . During their championship run, the Triangles defeated future NFL teams,

6336-414: The first few years in Baltimore, with the team not achieving their first winning record until the 1957 season . However, under head coach Weeb Ewbank and the leadership of quarterback Johnny Unitas , the Colts went on to a 9–3 record during the 1958 season and reached the NFL Championship Game for the first time by winning the NFL Western Conference . The Colts faced the New York Giants in

6435-429: The first time in his career after breaking the Colts' single-season passing yardage record previously held by Manning. After the Colts finished 8–8 in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997–98, Grigson was fired as general manager. Just three of his previous 18 draft picks remained on the team at the time of his firing. On January 30, 2017,

6534-405: The first time, although with shaky financing and ownership, played only in the 1950 season of the NFL, and was later disbanded. In 1953, a new Baltimore -based group, heavily supported by the city's municipal government and with a large subscription-base of fan-purchased season tickets, led by local owner Carroll Rosenbloom won the rights to a new Baltimore NFL franchise. Rosenbloom was awarded

6633-412: The fourth pick in the 2023 NFL draft . In free agency, the Colts signed quarterback Gardner Minshew and kicker Matt Gay . On October 18, 2023, the Colts announced that Richardson would miss the remainder of the season with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain. On October 24, 2023, he successfully underwent shoulder surgery to repair the sprain. Backup quarterback Minshew was named by Steichen as

6732-411: The franchise, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round. Indianapolis entered the 2006 season with a veteran quarterback, receivers, and defenders, and chose running back Joseph Addai in the 2006 draft . As in the previous season, the Colts began the season undefeated and went 9–0 before losing their first game against the Dallas Cowboys . Indianapolis finished the season with

6831-405: The head coach, and he returned to the Patriots. On February 11, 2018, the Colts announced Frank Reich , then offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles , as their new head coach. In Reich's first season as head coach, Andrew Luck's return to the field got off to a shaky start, as the Colts began the 2018 season 1–5. However, they surged back to win nine of their last ten games to secure

6930-403: The host team for the NFL Scouting Combine . The Colts have competed as a member club of the NFL since their founding in Baltimore , Maryland, in 1953, after then-owner Carroll Rosenbloom purchased the assets of the NFL's last founding Ohio League member Dayton Triangles – Dallas Texans franchise. They were one of three NFL teams to join those of the American Football League (AFL) to form

7029-405: The name of the St. Mary's Cadets. The Cadets claimed the title of "World Basketball Champions" by defeating the Buffalo German Ramblers . In the fall of 1913, the St. Marys Cadets organized a football team. The team was coached by Louis Clark , who coached the St. Mary's college football team as well. Al Mahrt was elected team captain. The team finished its first season with a 7–0 record and won

7128-483: The next three seasons in the old AAFC until they agreed to merge with the old National Football League (of 1920–1922 to 1950) when the NFL was reorganized. The Baltimore Colts were one of the three former AAFC powerhouse teams to merge with the NFL at that time, the others being the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns . This Colts team, now in the "big league" of professional American football for

7227-418: The playoffs in 2002 with a 10–6 record. The Colts also returned to the playoffs in 2003 and 2004 with 12–4 records and AFC South championships. The Colts lost to the New England Patriots and Tom Brady in the 2003 AFC Championship Game and in the 2004 divisional playoffs , thereby beginning a rivalry between the two teams, and between Manning and Brady. Following two consecutive playoff losses to

7326-680: The playoffs sixteen times, won two conference championships, and played in two Super Bowl games; they defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI , and lost to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV (all four Super Bowls that the Colts have played in took place at the home stadium for the Miami Dolphins ; while based in Baltimore, Super Bowls III and V were held at the Orange Bowl in Miami, and while based in Indianapolis, Super Bowls XLI and XLIV were at what

7425-668: The remains of the former Dallas Texans team, who themselves had a long and winding history, with a small part of the franchise starting as the Boston Yanks in 1944, merging later with the Brooklyn Tigers , a franchise that had a far more deep and rich history, being previously known as the Dayton Triangles , one of the original old NFL teams established even before the League itself, in 1913. That team later became

7524-519: The revenues from playing on the road kept them afloat. Also around this time, the NFL began shaking off its roots in mid-sized midwestern cities. Although the Triangles were one of only three original NFL teams (along with the Bears and Cardinals) to survive the 1920s, and the only team from the Ohio League to survive past 1926, it soon became apparent that Dayton was not big enough to support a team in

7623-478: The season at 12–4 and make in into the playoffs as a wild card team, eventually losing to the Chargers in the wild card round. Following the season, Tony Dungy announced his retirement after seven seasons as head coach, having compiled an overall record of 92–33 with the team. Jim Caldwell was hired as head coach of the team following Dungy, and led the team during the 2009 season . The Colts went 14–0 during

7722-529: The season to finish with an overall record of 14–2 after controversially benching their starters during the last two games. The Colts for the second time in the Manning era entered the playoffs with the best record in the AFC. The Colts managed victories over the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets to advance to Super Bowl XLIV against the New Orleans Saints , but lost to the Saints 31–17. At

7821-413: The second round. The team also switched to a 3–4 defensive scheme. With productive seasons from both Luck and veteran receiver Reggie Wayne , the Colts rebounded from the 2–14 season of 2011 with a 2012 season record of 11–5. The franchise, team, and fan base rallied behind head coach Chuck Pagano during his fight with leukemia . Clinching an unexpected playoff spot in the 2012–13 NFL playoffs ,

7920-655: The site where Ralph's automobile showroom once stood. The plaque recognizes Ralph Hay and Jim Thorpe , and the historic meeting on September 17, 1920, that saw the birth of the NFL . In 1972, the Pro Football Hall of Fame created the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award which honors those who have made innovative contributions throughout pro football history. In 1988, the Professional Football Researchers Association established

8019-489: The son of New Orleans Saints legend Archie Manning , with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft . The team and Manning struggled during the 1998 season , winning only three games; Manning threw a league high 28 interceptions. However, Manning did pass for 3,739 yards and threw 26 touchdown passes and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team. The Colts began to improve towards

8118-415: The starter during Richardson's absence. During the 2023 NFL season , wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. broke the Colts franchise record for the most receptions in the first four years of a player's career. Despite many injuries, including to Richardson and All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor , the 2023 Colts rebounded from their 4–12–1 record in 2022, finishing 9–8 and narrowly missing the playoffs with

8217-533: The team before the Maryland legislature could pass the law. Indianapolis offered loans as well as the Hoosier Dome and a training complex. After the deal was reached, moving vans from Indianapolis-based Mayflower Transit were dispatched overnight to the team's Maryland training complex, arriving on the morning of March 29, 1984. Once in Maryland, workers loaded all of the team's belongings, and by midday

8316-420: The team decided to build through their number one overall pick in the 1998 draft . Jim Irsay began to shape the Colts one year after assuming control from his father by firing head coach Lindy Infante and hiring Bill Polian as the general manager of the organization. Polian in turn hired Jim E. Mora to become the next head coach of the team and drafted Tennessee Volunteer quarterback Peyton Manning ,

8415-496: The team hired Chris Ballard , who served as the Kansas City Chiefs Director of Football Operations, to replace Grigson. On December 31, 2017, after winning the final game of the season and a final record of 4–12, the Colts parted ways with Pagano. Luck, who had suffered multiple injuries and missed nine games during the 2015 season, sat out the entire 2017 season recovering from shoulder surgery. In

8514-415: The team went 1–15 and was just one point away from the first all-losing season in the history of a 16-game schedule. The season resulted in the firing of head coach Ron Meyer and the return of former head coach Ted Marchibroda to the organization in 1992 ; he had coached the team from 1975 to 1979. The team continued to struggle under Marchibroda and Jim Irsay , son of Robert Irsay and general manager at

8613-611: The ten AFL teams in the American Football Conference as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The Colts immediately went on a rampage in the new league, as new head coach Don McCafferty led the 1970 team to an 11–2–1 regular-season record, winning the AFC East title. In the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the Colts beat the Cincinnati Bengals 17–0; one week later in the first-ever AFC Championship Game , they beat

8712-491: The time. It was in 1994 that Robert Irsay brought in Bill Tobin to become the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts. Under Tobin, the Colts drafted running back Marshall Faulk with the second overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft and acquired quarterback Jim Harbaugh as well. These Colts began to turn their fortunes around with playoff appearances in 1995 and 1996 . The Colts won their first postseason game as

8811-401: The trucks departed for Indianapolis, leaving nothing of the Colts organization that could be seized by Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts' Marching Band had to scramble to retrieve their equipment and uniforms before they were shipped to Indianapolis as well. The move triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of the city of Baltimore and the Colts organization reached

8910-539: The two championships in 1958 and 1959, the Colts did not return to the NFL Championship for four seasons and replaced the head coach Ewbank with the young Don Shula in 1963 . In Shula's second season the Colts compiled a 12–2 record, but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship 27–0. In 1968 the Colts returned with the continued leadership of Unitas and Shula and went on to win

9009-452: The undefeated Broncos . Luck went on to lead the Colts to a 15th division championship later that season. In the first round of the 2013 NFL playoffs , Andrew Luck led the Colts to a 45–44 victory over Kansas City, outscoring the Chiefs 35–13 in the second half in the second biggest comeback in NFL playoff history. During the 2014 season, Luck led the Colts to the AFC Championship game for

9108-492: The weeks following the end of the 2017 season, after two interviews, it was widely reported that the Colts would hire Josh McDaniels , offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots , to replace Pagano, after McDaniels fulfilled his obligations to the Patriots in Super Bowl LII . On February 8, 2018, the Colts announced McDaniels as their new head coach. Hours later, however, McDaniels rescinded his decision to be

9207-587: The years, the Triangles have a tenuous connection to the current NFL. The Dodgers merged with the Boston Yanks franchise for the 1945 season due to player shortages. In 1946, Brooklyn's owner jumped to the AAFC and played as the New York Yankees , while the Boston Yanks remained in the NFL. In 1949, the Yanks moved to New York and became the New York Bulldogs , while the AAFC Yankees merged with

9306-642: Was being released from the roster after 13 seasons. During the 2012 off-season owner Jim Irsay hired Ryan Grigson to be the General Manager. Grigson decided to let head coach Jim Caldwell go and Chuck Pagano was hired as the new head coach shortly thereafter. The Colts also began to release some higher paid and oft-injured veteran players, including Joseph Addai , Dallas Clark , and Gary Brackett . The Colts used their number one overall draft pick in 2012 to draft Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck and also drafted his teammate Coby Fleener in

9405-405: Was benched for the remainder of the season in favor of Sam Ehlinger . On November 7, 2022, the Colts fired Reich as head coach the day after losing by 23 points to the New England Patriots to continue a disappointing 3–5–1 start. Longtime Colts center Jeff Saturday was subsequently named the interim head coach. Under Saturday, the Colts went 1–7, and overall, the Colts finished

9504-532: Was elected secretary of the league. He then wrote to every important pro team in the Midwest, including George Halas manager of the Decatur Staleys , inviting them to meet in Canton on Friday, September 17, 1920, at 8:00 pm. Representatives from ten pro teams showed up. Because Hay's office was too small, the meeting was held in his automobile showroom. Some of the owners sat on car running boards due to

9603-399: Was renamed the National Football League. During the latter meeting, Jim Thorpe was unanimously elected as the new league's president. Also at this meeting, a membership fee of $ 100 per team was established, however George Halas stated that none of the charter teams ever paid it. On October 3, 1920, the Triangles won what could be considered the very first APFA/NFL game, with a 14–0 defeat of

9702-404: Was successful. The team went 6–0–2 that season. The Triangles were able to score 188 points and gave up only 13 to their opponents. 1918 saw the United States entry in World War I , as well as the devastating Spanish flu pandemic . While the Triangles lost players to military service, they also had many kept home with regular jobs in industries deemed essential to the war effort and, along with

9801-400: Was the first time two rookies from the same team received that honor since Hall-of-Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers achieved the feat in 1965. On August 24, 2019, Luck informed the Colts that he would be retiring from the NFL after not attending training camp. He cited an unfulfilling cycle of injury and rehab as his primary reason for leaving football. On November 17, 2019,

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