Bill Polian
Encyclopedia
Bill Polian is the Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts
NFL team. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager
of the Buffalo Bills
, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowl
s, losing each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the General Manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers
, where his initial success in building what was arguably the most rapidly successful expansion team in NFL history led to his moving on to the Colts. He has won the NFL's Executive of the Year award 6 times (1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2009).
Prior to Polian's tenure in Buffalo, he began his career in professional football with the Kansas City Chiefs
and the Chicago Blitz
of the United States Football League
, before moving to the Canadian Football League
, where he assembled Grey Cup
winning teams with the Montreal Alouettes
and Winnipeg Blue Bombers
. Early on in his career, he was a coach for the now defunct football team at the Trinity School
in New York City.
, "We were 2-14 on merit--we have the worst personnel in the NFL." On February 7, 1985, Bills general manager Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack and Polian was named along with director of scouting Norm Pollom to handle contract negotiations in Bledsoe's absence. Polian was instrumental in the signing of Bruce Smith to his first NFL contract. This impressed the Bills' hierarchy enough to warrant a promotion to GM, after the firing of Bledsoe, in 1985. The fans were not impressed with the promotion of Polian however. Most observers considered the move business as usual, on a 2-14 team.
Polian stated in his first press conference, "I know the NFL well, I know its players, I think I'm prepared for the job." His statement proved to be true. Polian proceeded to build an NFL powerhouse. In 1986, Polian got USFL star Jim Kelly
to finally come to Buffalo. He next hired Marv Levy
to replace Hank Bullough as head coach. In the 1987 draft, Polian's skill as a GM was apparent as he "traded down" from the #3 slot in the first round to the #8 slot (linebacker Shane Conlan
) while also acquiring the #36 slot, which he then traded to Tampa to select cornerback Nate Odomes
. On October 31, 1987, Polian orchestrated one of the biggest trades in Bills history by acquiring linebacker Cornelius Bennett. In 1988, without the luxury of a first round pick, Polian drafted running back Thurman Thomas in the second round. Polian had expertly put the pieces together that would make the Bills a "championship caliber team," appearing in an NFL record four straight Super Bowls. Because of his accomplishments, Polian won the NFL Executive of the Year Award twice in 1988 and in 1991.
On February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in their 3rd straight Super Bowl, Polian was fired as general manager. Polian wasn't fired because he wasn't doing a good job, he was fired because he didn't get along with treasurer, Jeff Littmann, for reasons unknown to all except those close to owner Wilson, Littmann and Polian himself.
In his closing press conference, Polian said of the team that he built, "They're a very special group of men. Cherish them, you will not see their like again."
, who had led the team to the AFC Championship game
following the 1995 season. Instead, he decided to build through the draft as the Colts would have the number 1 overall pick for 1998, and 2 of the most hyped quarterbacks would be coming out of college. As the '98 draft approached, much hype surrounded the first and second picks, as most people assumed they were going to be Ryan Leaf
and Peyton Manning
. Then NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
made the announcement, "With the first overall pick of the 1998 draft, the Indianapolis Colts
select quarterback, University of Tennessee
, Peyton Manning
." The San Diego Chargers
would take Ryan Leaf
second; Leaf's abbreviated career appears to have shown the wisdom of Polian's choice.
Also in 1998, Polian hired his son Chris
as Director of Pro Personnel; he has since promoted him to Vice-President of Football Operations and general manager.
, again deciding to build through the draft. The Colts would have the 4th overall pick in the draft, and again much hype would surround the draft as Ricky Williams
was coming out. The Cleveland Browns
re-entered the NFL in 1999 and would have the first pick, but with a short roster, they would opt for QB Tim Couch
. The Philadelphia Eagles
then selected QB Donovan McNabb
, and the Cincinnati Bengals
then took QB Akili Smith
. Many Colt fans watching the draft live no doubt anticipated the selection next of the still-available Ricky Williams
. But Polian shocked almost everyone by drafting Edgerrin James
instead. The New Orleans Saints
then traded away all of their draft picks for the entire year to move up high enough to take Williams with the next pick. Williams suffered injury shortened seasons his first two years with the Saints, although he did bounce back, including a season in which he rushed for over 1,800 yards following a trade to the Miami Dolphins
, to win the rushing title. James would win the rushing title in both his rookie and second seasons by nearly 100 yards and 200 yards resepectively, vindicating Polian's choice. Following the 2005 season, Edgerrin became a free agent and the Colts chose not to sign him to a deal or place the franchise tag on him. This left many Colt fans scratching their heads. However, in the 2006 NFL Draft, Polian drafted possibly the next great Colt runner with the 30th pick in LSU's Joseph Addai
. While many talented runners were taken ahead of Addai in Reggie Bush
, Laurence Maroney
, and DeAngelo Williams
, Joseph Addai led all rookie runners with 1,081 rushing yards and did so without making a regular season start, playing behind Dominic Rhodes
. Many teammates including Peyton Manning
have stated that it's not so much Addai's talent but his desire to learn. His running was instrumental in the Colts winning their first Super Bowl with Indianapolis. However, in the 2008 season, Addai struggled all season, running for just 544 yards, just 6 more than his backup Dominic Rhodes.
with their first pick in the 2001 draft. Although this choice was confusing and possibly even infuriating to some Colts fans at the time, Wayne became one of the premier receivers in the league, complementing Marvin Harrison
in an already potent offense. Polian also bolstered the offense with fourth-round pick Ryan Diem
, who is currently the Colts' starting right offensive guard.
Before the 2002 draft, head coach Jim Mora
was fired in favor of recently fired Tampa Bay Buccaneers
coach Tony Dungy
. As the 2002 draft approached, it was clear the Colts desperately needed help on defense. Polian would draft Dwight Freeney
in the 1st round amid much criticism that Freeney was too small to play defensive end and was a reach for the 11th overall pick. Freeney would go on to be selected to 5 Pro Bowls
following the 2003, 2004, and 2005, 2008, and 2009 seasons.
The 2003 draft produced 2 late round picks who would become impact players within the Colts defense. Fifth-round pick Robert Mathis
has become one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in the AFC and was selected for the 2008 and 2010 Pro Bowls, and sixth-round pick Cato June
(who played safety in college) would become a Pro Bowl
linebacker.
In the 2004 draft, Polian selected strong safety Bob Sanders
early in the 2nd round after trading out of the first. Sanders probably would have been a higher pick in the draft, but he had suffered a foot injury which would require surgery and most other teams did not want that liability. Sanders would only play in 5 games his rookie season, but his second (and first full) season would prove why Polian drafted him as Sanders would go on to the Pro Bowl
, and, in his fourth season, become the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Polian is well regarded among the NFL for his draft acumen. His most notable selection, of course, is Peyton Manning
over Ryan Leaf
in the 1998 NFL Draft. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP awards, more than any other player in League History, as well as one Super Bowl
, whereas Leaf has been regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL and professional sports history. Most scouts already had concluded that Manning was the more "NFL-ready" quarterback.
Since 2005, Bill Polian has drafted superstars in first round such as Marlin Jackson, Joe Addai(Maurice Jones-Drew passed on), Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh (Traded up, and future a first rounder for him), Donald Brown (Taken after him was Lesean McCoy,Beanie Wells,and Shonn Greene), and Jerry Hughes.
, Dominic Rhodes
, Terrence Wilkins
, Raheem Brock
, James Mungro
, Gary Brackett
, Ben Utecht
, Ryan Lilja
, and Melvin Bullitt
. Polian also signed Nick Harper
and Mike Vanderjagt
as free agents from the Canadian Football League
.
Polian has rarely signed established free agents away from other teams through big money contracts. He has said that the Colts have no interest in the annual sweepstakes for veteran free agents. The Colts under Polian are also known for finding unknown linebackers who become hugely successful in Indianapolis before moving on to large contracts elsewhere, including Marcus Washington
, Mike Peterson
, and Cato June
. In the offseason of 2004, he signed former pro-bowl DT Corey Simon
in a move that did not work out as planned. Simon was cut and Jim Irsay
publicly said signing him was a mistake. Another notable exception was following the 2005 season, when he signed kicker Adam Vinatieri
to a $12 million contract, although Sports Illustrated noted the contract took up only 3% of the Colts' 2006 salary cap. The move made Vinatieri the NFL's highest paid kicker, and his clutch play was key in the Colts progression toward becoming Super Bowl XLI
champions.
Following the retirement of tackle Tarik Glenn
prior to the start of the 2007 season, only one player remained from the pre-Polian era, wide receiver Marvin Harrison
. He was released at his wish in the 2009 offseason, because of salary cap issues.
would go down in week 7 with a season ending injury and the Colts would finish 6-10. A humiliating loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers
would spark the famous "Playoffs?!" rant by then coach Jim Mora
.
Their biggest nemesis had been the Patriots, whom the Colts seemed unable to overcome in the playoffs. In 2003 and 2004, the Colts had one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL, and Manning won back to back MVP awards. However, both these seasons would end in New England, as the Patriots stifled the Colts 24-14 and 20-3. After the 2003 AFC Championship game, Polian convinced the competition committee and the leagues head of officiating Mike Pereria to issue a crackdown on illegal contact and defensive holding in the secondary, claiming that the Colts receivers had been roughed up illegally by the Patriots defensive backs without penalty during the Championship game.
The fact that both losses came in bad weather in Foxboro led to many questioning whether the Colts offense was built for indoor stadiums since the Colts played their home games first inside the (recently demolished) RCA Dome
, and now in Lucas Oil Stadium
, and also questioning if Peyton Manning would ever win a Super Bowl. In 2005, the struggles continued, as the Colts fell to the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers. After Manning was sacked on 4th down inside of his own 10 yard line with under two minutes to play, the Steelers seemed poised for victory. But a Jerome Bettis
fumble was recovered by Nick Harper, who only had to get past Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger
to score a game-winning TD—and Roethlisberger tackled him. After driving to the Steelers 29 yard line, Vanderjagt, who at the time was the most accurate kicker in NFL history, badly missed a 46 yard field goal, leading to another offseason of excuses from the Colts. After the game, Manning infamously claimed that the Colts offense "had some problems with protection", and was harshly criticized for blaming his teammates for his team's failures. It appeared that Manning would never overcome his playoff woes.
However in 2007, the Colts finally overcame their personal "kryptonite
," beating the Patriots 38–34 in the biggest comeback ever in a Conference Championship game, after the Patriots took a 21-3 lead late in the first half. The Patriots had multiple chances to put the game away, but were unable to convert on 3rd and 4 with only minutes remaining in the game, and were forced to punt the ball back to the Colts. After a quick scoring drive, which ended in a Joseph Addai
touchdown run, the Patriots got the ball back for one final shot, but Tom Brady
was intercepted by Marlin Jackson
, and the Colts had finally lived up to expectations and made the Super Bowl. They went on to defeat the Chicago Bears
29–17 in Super Bowl XLI
at Dolphin Stadium.
was drafted. Many people started to question wheter Polian had lost his edge. Many recent draft picks had not panned out: Tony Ugoh
, Jerry Hughes
, Donald Brown
.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
NFL team. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, losing each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the General Manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, where his initial success in building what was arguably the most rapidly successful expansion team in NFL history led to his moving on to the Colts. He has won the NFL's Executive of the Year award 6 times (1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2009).
Prior to Polian's tenure in Buffalo, he began his career in professional football with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, before moving to the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, where he assembled Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
winning teams with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
. Early on in his career, he was a coach for the now defunct football team at the Trinity School
Trinity School (New York City)
Trinity School is a private, preparatory, co-educational day school for grades K-12 located in New York City, USA, and a member of both the New York Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League...
in New York City.
Buffalo Bills
Polian was General Manager in buffalo from 1986-1993. When Bill Polian was promoted to general manager of the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 30, 1985, the Bills were suffering from back to back 2-14 seasons and fan interest was at an all-time low. Polian had been with the Bills since August 2, 1984. He was originally hired as director of pro personnel, where he impressed Bills owner Ralph Wilson by telling then-coach Kay StephensonKay Stephenson
George Kay Stephenson is a former American college and professional football player and current coach, whose latter career has seen him work in four different professional leagues. Stephenson played quarterback for the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills...
, "We were 2-14 on merit--we have the worst personnel in the NFL." On February 7, 1985, Bills general manager Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack and Polian was named along with director of scouting Norm Pollom to handle contract negotiations in Bledsoe's absence. Polian was instrumental in the signing of Bruce Smith to his first NFL contract. This impressed the Bills' hierarchy enough to warrant a promotion to GM, after the firing of Bledsoe, in 1985. The fans were not impressed with the promotion of Polian however. Most observers considered the move business as usual, on a 2-14 team.
Polian stated in his first press conference, "I know the NFL well, I know its players, I think I'm prepared for the job." His statement proved to be true. Polian proceeded to build an NFL powerhouse. In 1986, Polian got USFL star Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
to finally come to Buffalo. He next hired Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
to replace Hank Bullough as head coach. In the 1987 draft, Polian's skill as a GM was apparent as he "traded down" from the #3 slot in the first round to the #8 slot (linebacker Shane Conlan
Shane Conlan
Shane Patrick Conlan is a former professional American football player. He played college football at Penn State University, where he won two national championships...
) while also acquiring the #36 slot, which he then traded to Tampa to select cornerback Nate Odomes
Nate Odomes
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons...
. On October 31, 1987, Polian orchestrated one of the biggest trades in Bills history by acquiring linebacker Cornelius Bennett. In 1988, without the luxury of a first round pick, Polian drafted running back Thurman Thomas in the second round. Polian had expertly put the pieces together that would make the Bills a "championship caliber team," appearing in an NFL record four straight Super Bowls. Because of his accomplishments, Polian won the NFL Executive of the Year Award twice in 1988 and in 1991.
On February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in their 3rd straight Super Bowl, Polian was fired as general manager. Polian wasn't fired because he wasn't doing a good job, he was fired because he didn't get along with treasurer, Jeff Littmann, for reasons unknown to all except those close to owner Wilson, Littmann and Polian himself.
In his closing press conference, Polian said of the team that he built, "They're a very special group of men. Cherish them, you will not see their like again."
Carolina Panthers
Polian was General Manager of the Panthers from 1994-1997. He tried to create the quickest Super Bowl winner in history, and nearly did so, building a team that went to the NFC Championship game in only its second year of existence. This feat led him to a promotion, becoming not just the GM, but the President of the Indianapolis Colts.First order of business
On December 21, 1997, the Colts played their last game of the season, losing to the Vikings and finishing the season 3-13. The very next day, Polian was hired as President to try and turn the team around. Polian opted not to keep QB Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
, who had led the team to the AFC Championship game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
following the 1995 season. Instead, he decided to build through the draft as the Colts would have the number 1 overall pick for 1998, and 2 of the most hyped quarterbacks would be coming out of college. As the '98 draft approached, much hype surrounded the first and second picks, as most people assumed they were going to be Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
and Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
. Then NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
made the announcement, "With the first overall pick of the 1998 draft, the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
select quarterback, University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
." The San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
would take Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
second; Leaf's abbreviated career appears to have shown the wisdom of Polian's choice.
Also in 1998, Polian hired his son Chris
Chris Polian
Chris Polian is the Vice President and General Manager of the Indianapolis Colts.On November 27, he was promoted by Indianapolis Colts owners, Jim Irsay to his position. He had previously served in other roles in the Colts football operations. He concurrently extended his contract through the 2012...
as Director of Pro Personnel; he has since promoted him to Vice-President of Football Operations and general manager.
Running Backs
Even though the Colts finished 3-13 under Polian's first year as president, there were obvious signs of improvement. It was clear that towards the end of the season, Manning and his corps of receivers were starting to get a very good rhythm and the offense was starting to shine. Even with these signs of improvement, Polian opted not to keep RB Marshall FaulkMarshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
, again deciding to build through the draft. The Colts would have the 4th overall pick in the draft, and again much hype would surround the draft as Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
was coming out. The Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
re-entered the NFL in 1999 and would have the first pick, but with a short roster, they would opt for QB Tim Couch
Tim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
. The Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
then selected QB Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, and the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
then took QB Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...
. Many Colt fans watching the draft live no doubt anticipated the selection next of the still-available Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
. But Polian shocked almost everyone by drafting Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
instead. The New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
then traded away all of their draft picks for the entire year to move up high enough to take Williams with the next pick. Williams suffered injury shortened seasons his first two years with the Saints, although he did bounce back, including a season in which he rushed for over 1,800 yards following a trade to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, to win the rushing title. James would win the rushing title in both his rookie and second seasons by nearly 100 yards and 200 yards resepectively, vindicating Polian's choice. Following the 2005 season, Edgerrin became a free agent and the Colts chose not to sign him to a deal or place the franchise tag on him. This left many Colt fans scratching their heads. However, in the 2006 NFL Draft, Polian drafted possibly the next great Colt runner with the 30th pick in LSU's Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
. While many talented runners were taken ahead of Addai in Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
, and DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Joseph Addai led all rookie runners with 1,081 rushing yards and did so without making a regular season start, playing behind Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
. Many teammates including Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
have stated that it's not so much Addai's talent but his desire to learn. His running was instrumental in the Colts winning their first Super Bowl with Indianapolis. However, in the 2008 season, Addai struggled all season, running for just 544 yards, just 6 more than his backup Dominic Rhodes.
Drafting
Following the 2000 season, most outside observers believed that the Colts would focus on defense, as the offense had become quite potent. However, Polian opted instead to draft wide receiver Reggie WayneReggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
with their first pick in the 2001 draft. Although this choice was confusing and possibly even infuriating to some Colts fans at the time, Wayne became one of the premier receivers in the league, complementing Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
in an already potent offense. Polian also bolstered the offense with fourth-round pick Ryan Diem
Ryan Diem
Ryan Diem is a starting offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Ryan Diem stands 6'6" tall and weighs 305 pounds...
, who is currently the Colts' starting right offensive guard.
Before the 2002 draft, head coach Jim Mora
Jim E. Mora
James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
was fired in favor of recently fired Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
coach Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
. As the 2002 draft approached, it was clear the Colts desperately needed help on defense. Polian would draft Dwight Freeney
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University.-Early years:Freeney attended Bloomfield High School...
in the 1st round amid much criticism that Freeney was too small to play defensive end and was a reach for the 11th overall pick. Freeney would go on to be selected to 5 Pro Bowls
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
following the 2003, 2004, and 2005, 2008, and 2009 seasons.
The 2003 draft produced 2 late round picks who would become impact players within the Colts defense. Fifth-round pick Robert Mathis
Robert Mathis
Robert Nathan Mathis is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:Mathis attended McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia....
has become one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in the AFC and was selected for the 2008 and 2010 Pro Bowls, and sixth-round pick Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
(who played safety in college) would become a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
linebacker.
In the 2004 draft, Polian selected strong safety Bob Sanders
Bob Sanders
Demond "Bob" Sanders is a professional American football safety who is currently on the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League. Sanders was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts...
early in the 2nd round after trading out of the first. Sanders probably would have been a higher pick in the draft, but he had suffered a foot injury which would require surgery and most other teams did not want that liability. Sanders would only play in 5 games his rookie season, but his second (and first full) season would prove why Polian drafted him as Sanders would go on to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, and, in his fourth season, become the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Polian is well regarded among the NFL for his draft acumen. His most notable selection, of course, is Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
over Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
in the 1998 NFL Draft. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP awards, more than any other player in League History, as well as one Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, whereas Leaf has been regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL and professional sports history. Most scouts already had concluded that Manning was the more "NFL-ready" quarterback.
Since 2005, Bill Polian has drafted superstars in first round such as Marlin Jackson, Joe Addai(Maurice Jones-Drew passed on), Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh (Traded up, and future a first rounder for him), Donald Brown (Taken after him was Lesean McCoy,Beanie Wells,and Shonn Greene), and Jerry Hughes.
Free agency
Despite his penchant for quality drafts, the key to the Colts success may come from Polian's ability to sign free agents, specifically undrafted rookie free agents who would become key contributors. Under Polian's watch, the Colts have signed undrafted or waived rookies such as Jeff SaturdayJeff Saturday
Jeffrey Bryant Saturday is an American football center for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at North Carolina. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Football League Players' Association.-Early years:Saturday attended...
, Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, Terrence Wilkins
Terrence Wilkins
Terrence Olondo Wilkins is a former wide receiver and punt returner for the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League. He signed with the Colts on November 10, 2003. He also played with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He has 1,466 career receiving yards in the...
, Raheem Brock
Raheem Brock
Raheem Fukwan Brock is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, James Mungro
James Mungro
James Olevia Mungro, II is a former American football running back. He retired from the NFL due to a severe ACL injury he received in a pre-season game in 2006. His entire NFL career was with the Indianapolis Colts...
, Gary Brackett
Gary Brackett
Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey....
, Ben Utecht
Ben Utecht
Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht is a former American football tight end who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Minnesota...
, Ryan Lilja
Ryan Lilja
Ryan Matthew Lilja is an American football guard for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, and Melvin Bullitt
Melvin Bullitt
Melvin Terry Bullitt is an American football defensive back for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.-Early years:...
. Polian also signed Nick Harper
Nick Harper (American football)
Nicholas Necosi Harper is a currently a free agent American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an street free agent in 2000. He played college football at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia.Harper has played for the...
and Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
as free agents from the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
Polian has rarely signed established free agents away from other teams through big money contracts. He has said that the Colts have no interest in the annual sweepstakes for veteran free agents. The Colts under Polian are also known for finding unknown linebackers who become hugely successful in Indianapolis before moving on to large contracts elsewhere, including Marcus Washington
Marcus Washington
Marcus Cornelius Washington is an American football linebacker. After completing his college career with Auburn he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Mike Peterson
Mike Peterson
Porter Michael "Mike" Peterson is an American professional football player who has been a linebacker in the National Football League for thirteen seasons...
, and Cato June
Cato June
Cato Nnamdi June is a free agent American football linebacker who most recently played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a...
. In the offseason of 2004, he signed former pro-bowl DT Corey Simon
Corey Simon
Corey Jermaine Simon is a retired American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles sixth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
in a move that did not work out as planned. Simon was cut and Jim Irsay
Jim Irsay
James Irsay is the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.-Biography:...
publicly said signing him was a mistake. Another notable exception was following the 2005 season, when he signed kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
to a $12 million contract, although Sports Illustrated noted the contract took up only 3% of the Colts' 2006 salary cap. The move made Vinatieri the NFL's highest paid kicker, and his clutch play was key in the Colts progression toward becoming Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
champions.
Following the retirement of tackle Tarik Glenn
Tarik Glenn
Tarik Glenn is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Indianapolis Colts. Glenn performed as two-way lineman at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California....
prior to the start of the 2007 season, only one player remained from the pre-Polian era, wide receiver Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
. He was released at his wish in the 2009 offseason, because of salary cap issues.
Playoff woes end
Even though the Colts finished with winning records and looked much better as a franchise, they would suffer playoff losses following the '99 and '00 seasons. Things would only get worse for the 2001 season as Edgerrin JamesEdgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
would go down in week 7 with a season ending injury and the Colts would finish 6-10. A humiliating loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
would spark the famous "Playoffs?!" rant by then coach Jim Mora
Jim E. Mora
James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
.
Their biggest nemesis had been the Patriots, whom the Colts seemed unable to overcome in the playoffs. In 2003 and 2004, the Colts had one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL, and Manning won back to back MVP awards. However, both these seasons would end in New England, as the Patriots stifled the Colts 24-14 and 20-3. After the 2003 AFC Championship game, Polian convinced the competition committee and the leagues head of officiating Mike Pereria to issue a crackdown on illegal contact and defensive holding in the secondary, claiming that the Colts receivers had been roughed up illegally by the Patriots defensive backs without penalty during the Championship game.
The fact that both losses came in bad weather in Foxboro led to many questioning whether the Colts offense was built for indoor stadiums since the Colts played their home games first inside the (recently demolished) RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
, and now in Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, and also questioning if Peyton Manning would ever win a Super Bowl. In 2005, the struggles continued, as the Colts fell to the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers. After Manning was sacked on 4th down inside of his own 10 yard line with under two minutes to play, the Steelers seemed poised for victory. But a Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
fumble was recovered by Nick Harper, who only had to get past Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
to score a game-winning TD—and Roethlisberger tackled him. After driving to the Steelers 29 yard line, Vanderjagt, who at the time was the most accurate kicker in NFL history, badly missed a 46 yard field goal, leading to another offseason of excuses from the Colts. After the game, Manning infamously claimed that the Colts offense "had some problems with protection", and was harshly criticized for blaming his teammates for his team's failures. It appeared that Manning would never overcome his playoff woes.
However in 2007, the Colts finally overcame their personal "kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
," beating the Patriots 38–34 in the biggest comeback ever in a Conference Championship game, after the Patriots took a 21-3 lead late in the first half. The Patriots had multiple chances to put the game away, but were unable to convert on 3rd and 4 with only minutes remaining in the game, and were forced to punt the ball back to the Colts. After a quick scoring drive, which ended in a Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
touchdown run, the Patriots got the ball back for one final shot, but Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
was intercepted by Marlin Jackson
Marlin Jackson
-Indianapolis Colts:Jackson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 29th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. As an NFL rookie he had 52 tackles and one interception. Marlin played mostly in passing situations with one start in 15 games. In his second season, he had 82 tackles and 1...
, and the Colts had finally lived up to expectations and made the Super Bowl. They went on to defeat the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
29–17 in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
at Dolphin Stadium.
2011 Season
The Colts started the 2011 season 0-10. Their worst start since 1997, the year before Peyton ManningPeyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
was drafted. Many people started to question wheter Polian had lost his edge. Many recent draft picks had not panned out: Tony Ugoh
Tony Ugoh
Anthony Ike "Tony" Ugoh, Jr. is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arkansas....
, Jerry Hughes
Jerry Hughes
-2011 season:During the week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans Hughes missed a block on a punt by Pat McAfee. The punt was blocked and the Titans scored a touchdown. This was the first blocked punt of McAfee's career.-External links:*...
, Donald Brown
Donald Brown
Donald E. Brown is an American professor of anthropology . He worked at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is best known for his theoretical work regarding the existence, characteristics and relevance of universals of human nature...
.