How the Colts came to be

Mark J. Rebilas - USA TODAY

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the more under the radar franchises in football history, and for that reason comes their complicated story fans may not have even fully grasped. The Colts were not born in Indianapolis, nor were they even remotely close to being immediately successful. Instead, the franchise has lived through multiple identities, defining eras, devastating losses, and controversial moments that shaped both the organization and the NFL itself. From the famed streets of Baltimore to the circle city lights of Indianapolis, the Colts’ journey has always been about reinvention. 

The franchise was originally established in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts after previous Baltimore football organizations had failed to survive financially. At the time, professional football was still trying to establish itself nationally. Which is why we saw numerous teams routinely created and fail in this era. Baseball dominated American sports, while the NFL remained a growing but unsustainable league. Baltimore embraced the idea of a football league quickly, and the “Colts” name itself came from Maryland’s rich horse-racing culture. 

Early on, however, the team struggled to establish consistency. That changed dramatically with the arrival of head coach Weeb Ewbank and quarterback Johnny Unitas. Unitas would eventually become not just the face of the franchise, but one of the most influential players in football history. His toughness, intelligence, and command of the passing game helped revolutionize the quarterback position during the 1950s and 1960s. He is still regarded as one of the greatest to play the position to this day. Especially due to the evolving game, as a running focused attack on offense was nearly inexistent, which is why you would typically see quarterbacks throw upwards of 50 times a game. Records were made quickly to say the least.  

One defining moment of this era came in the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants, often referred to as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The Colts won in sudden death overtime, and the nationally televised game helped launch professional football into mainstream American culture. Suddenly, the NFL was no longer simply competing for relevance; it had become must-watch entertainment. 

Throughout the 1960s, the Colts became one of football’s premier organizations. Unitas, alongside stars like Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, turned Baltimore into a football powerhouse. Yet even back in the early stages of the league we have come to know and love; great teams faced many heartbreaks. In Super Bowl III, the heavily favored Colts were stunned by Joe Namath and the New York Jets. The upset remains one of the most shocking moments in sports history and forever altered how the raw AFL and NFL conferences were viewed competitively. 

Still, the Colts rebounded. Two years later, they captured their first Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl V. Even with continued success, however, cracks slowly began to form within the organization during the 1970s. The once deadly roster aged, organizational stability weakened, and ownership became increasingly controversial. Due to this, ownership eventually fell into the hands of one Robert Irsay, a figure who remains divisive among football fans to this day. During this time, Baltimore city officials and Colts ownership constantly battled over stadium improvements and financial issues. The city feared losing the franchise, while ownership sought a more modern stadium and better financial opportunities. A theme we still see playing its role in the dramatic side of the NFL today, probably most commonly affiliated with the Chicago Bears possibly moving to Indiana due to Chicago’s reluctance to build a new and improved stadium.  

At the same time as all of the Baltimore controversy, Indianapolis was aggressively pursuing an NFL team of its own. City leaders had constructed the ‘Hoosier Dome’ specifically to attract professional football, hoping to elevate Indianapolis into a major sports city. As tensions in Baltimore grew worse, Indianapolis emerged as the perfect destination. 

Then came one of the most infamous moments in sports history. 

On March 29, 1984, moving trucks arrived overnight to relocate the Colts from the city of Baltimore to the city of Indianapolis before Maryland officials could even begin to take legal action to keep the team in the city. By morning, the franchise was gone. The move devastated Baltimore fans, many of whom felt betrayed after decades of loyalty. Meanwhile, Indianapolis celebrated the arrival of its first NFL franchise. 

The relocation permanently changed the identity of the Colts. No longer were they simply a historic East Coast football team. They were now representatives of a rapidly growing Midwest city eager to establish itself nationally. Making the complete and authentic term of ‘Hoosier Hospitality’ a living, breathing, established truth. 

Despite this newfound excitement, the early years in Indianapolis were rocky. The team struggled throughout much of the 1980s, posting losing seasons and continuing to search for direction in a repetitive manner. Still, football slowly became embedded within Indiana culture. Fans embraced the powerful horse/horseshoe logo, and the franchise gradually built a loyal following throughout the state even if the team struggled.  

One of the first memorable seasons of the Indianapolis era came during the year 1995 led by none other than quarterback Jim Harbaugh, now famously the Los Angeles Chargers head coach. Nicknamed the “Cardiac Colts,” the team made a surprise run to the AFC Championship Game and nearly reached the Super Bowl. Although they fell short against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the run gave Indianapolis hope that the franchise could someday become a competitive threat once again.  

That hope became reality in 1998 when the Colts selected Peyton Manning with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. That very decision changed the course of the entire National Football League.  

Manning, after setting a still-standing record of thirty interceptions as a rookie, quickly transformed the Colts into perennial contenders. Under the leadership of team president Bill Polian and head coach Tony Dungy, Indianapolis built one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Manning’s unmatched preparation, intelligence, and precision elevated not only the Colts, but the entire quarterback position. He created a standard, a standard that was only met by very few who even thought about playing the most important position in football. 

The Colts became one of the NFL’s defining teams of the 2000s. Their rivalry with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots helped define the era. Year after year, Indianapolis dominated the regular season, though playoff heartbreak frequently followed. 

Finally, during the 2006 season, the Colts broke through. After overcoming New England in the AFC Championship Game, in one of the greatest plays in Colt's history where defensive back Marlin Jackson intercepted the ill-fated quarterback, Tom Brady; Indianapolis defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI to capture the franchise’s first championship since moving to Indianapolis. For Colts fans, it validated years of expectations and frustrations. 

Manning became synonymous with Indianapolis itself. The franchise had fully evolved from its Baltimore roots into a modern NFL powerhouse. 

Yet football moves quickly, and dynasties or anything close to it rarely last forever. 

After an upsetting super bowl loss against the New Orleans Saints in 2010, and after suffering a severe neck injury, Manning missed the entire 2011 season. Without him, the Colts collapsed to a 2-14 record. The organization faced a brutal decision: continue with an aging legend recovering from serious, potentially career altering injury or begin a new era. Eventually, the Colts released Manning, ending one of the most successful quarterback-player relationships in league history. 

Fortunately for Indianapolis, another elite quarterback prospect awaited in the draft. The Colts selected Andrew Luck first overall in 2012, immediately ushering in a new era of optimism. Former Buccaneers and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden often describes Andrew Luck as the greatest communicator in football he had ever had the privilege of meeting. Luck carried the franchise to multiple playoff appearances and became known for his toughness and playmaking ability. However, constant injuries and organizational shortcomings took their toll on the star quarterback.  

In 2019, Luck shocked the football world by retiring before the season at just 29 years old. Once again, the Colts found themselves searching for stability at quarterback, in the year that it felt like the Colts could return to the games’ big dance. 

Today, the Colts remain a franchise caught between history and ambition. They continue searching for the next great quarterback capable of restoring the organization to championship contention. Yet despite the uncertainty, the Colts remain one of football’s most respected and recognizable franchises. Will the quarterback who brings the Colts back to glory be Daniel Jones? Time will tell. But if history is to show for anything, Jones signs of consistency showcase the potential to play at the caliber of the other Colts greats named in this article.

From Johnny Unitas to Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck to possibly even Daniel Jones, the story of the Colts has always been defined by transformation. Few organizations in sports have experienced as many dramatic rises, painful losses, or identity shifts. But through every relocation, rebuild, and heartbreak, one thing has remained consistent: the horseshoe never stays down forever. 

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