Offensive linemen rarely get recognized for what they deserve. Most of them go unnoticed and physically worn down with shorter careers due to the physical told that playing in the trenches has on their body. However, this is not the case with long-time Indianapolis Colts Center Jeff Saturday. This past Tuesday, the Colts announced that Saturday will become only the 12th player to be inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor on September 21st when the Colts play the New York Jets.
During his 13 year career with the Colts, Saturday was named to the Pro Bowl team five times and made the 1st team All-Pro team in 2005 and 2007. He also added a 6th Pro Bowl appearance later in his career. As a Colt, Saturday made 11 playoff appearances and won eight division titles. He was also the starting center of the Colts Superbowl winning team in the 2006 season.
Even off the field, Saturday has been a true “football guy” his entire life. Saturday is a member of the Executive Committee of the NFL Players Association and was an important part of the new Collective Bargaining agreement that was made between the NFL and the NFLPA back in 2011. He is currently an analyst for ESPN.
Saturday has always been connected with his long time QB, current Denver Broncos starting QB Peyton Manning. The two played with each other for 170 games over 12 years from 1999 all the way until the end of the 2011 season. Their record together was 120-50. He ended up playing and starting over 200 games in his career until he finally retired January 25th, 2013.
It’s been a long and extremely productive for Jeff Saturday and the 40 year old was very appreciative having this huge honor bestowed upon him, saying ”When you start playing this game, you never really envision this occurring in your career. I tell people all the time that my career was much better than I deserved. That’s really the way I feel about it. This is just another thing to add to it.”
Saturday also stated, “I’ve been so blessed to be an Indianapolis Colt. To be there as long as I was and for as successful as it was, not only personally, but for the teams I had the chance to play for, all the men that I got to suit up beside and run out on the field with, I can’t say enough good things. I’m just humbled by it and really excited about it.”
Others members in the Ring of Honor include: Robert Irsay (1996), Bill Brooks (1998), Ted Marchibroda (2000), Chris Hinton (2001), Jim Harbaugh (2005), 12th Man (2007), Dungy (2010), Marvin Harrison (2011), Edgerrin James (2012), Eric Dickerson (2013) and Marshall Faulk (2013).
The perfect final quote by Saturday which exemplifies his humbleness and heart was when he spoke about his rookie season after getting cut the year before. Saturday said, “I remember praying to God just to give me one year. And then 14 years later, with all the Pro Bowls, the Super Bowls, the All-Pros, all that stuff, I never had any forethought that any of that was going to come around. When you start as an undrafted free agent, it kind of takes a little longer. But once it happens, it just means that much more to you.”
For a position that normally goes unnoticed by most football fans, Saturday stood out during his career, both on and off the field. The Colts are happy to continue highlighting the career of a player that was a leader both on and off the field. Congratulations to the man who will be the latest member of the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, Jeff Saturday.
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