When Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning parted with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013, he left behind a much different city than he found upon his arrival in 1998.
And even though the success of the former Colts great had much to do with reshaping the city into a sports hub and a town obsessed with football, Manning credited Jim Irsay as the biggest reason.
Irsay, the team's owner since 1997, died Wednesday at 65. A day later, appearing on ESPN's "NFL Live," Manning recalled the evolution of Indianapolis under Irsay's stewardship of the franchise.
"When I got there, Indiana basketball, [auto] racing, the Indy 500 -- that was it," Manning said. "I think football was the third sport. Maybe not. Golf might've been in there. And all of a sudden, because of the [commitment] Jim made to winning ... he goes out and hires Bill Polian, who had rebuilt the Buffalo Bills, had started the Carolina Panthers as a new franchise, takes them to the NFC Championship [Game], then he drafts Edgerrin James, obviously re-signs Marvin Harrison, who's already there. And next thing you know, the Colts all of a sudden, 'Hey, the Colts are beating Miami, they're beating Buffalo, they're winning their division. And all of a sudden, hey, the Colts are for real."
That started a transformation of the city from a basketball town to one preoccupied with football.
"Right before your eyes, Indianapolis became the biggest football town. High school football goes up. Fans wear more jerseys to a Colts game than any other stadium out there. And that was [because of] Jim's commitment. That was his commitment to the city that he was going to bring them a winner once he took over, and he did."
The Colts, at odds with the city over a stadium lease agreement, flirted with the idea of moving the franchise in the early 2000s. A perennial loser that lacked fan support -- the Colts notoriously struggled with television blackouts in the 1990s -- might have been easier to let go of than a team with a reputation for winning consistently.
"There was all kinds of rumors about us maybe moving to Los Angeles or whatnot," Manning said. "Jim always wanted to stay in Indianapolis, but he felt like, 'Hey, we have this really good team. We're fun to watch. Let's get them a new stadium to play in.' And the next thing you know, Lucas Oil Stadium is built."
The Colts went on to win Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season, further establishing them as a team to be reckoned with. Two years later, they christened their new stadium. That helped solidify downtown Indianapolis' future as a destination for major sporting events like the Final Four and allowed the city to host its only Super Bowl in February 2012.
Of his relationship with Irsay, which was always impacted by Irsay's difficult decision to release Manning in 2012, Manning said, "I'll be indebted for what he did for me, giving me my start. And certainly, [we] parted ways. But five years later, after I retire, he dedicates a statue in my name and puts me in the Ring of Honor and insisted that I fly to Canton, Ohio on the Colts' plane."
Manning added, "He cared about his community, he cared about his family, but he loved the Colts, he loved the horseshoe as he called it, and I think that's a great legacy."
