NFL DRAFT History Class: The Colts At #1
By George Somerville
Around this time of year I turn my attention to the NFL Draft. But unlike the vast majority of interested parties, I’m not looking forward – I’m looking back. Why? Because NFL Draft history is not only fascinating, it could also be a guide to what happens in the future!
Which means here we are with another series of History class. So, if y’all are ready, class is in session!
If you read the last column you know that the Los Angeles Rams are one of two teams that have secured the first pick in the NFL Draft, more than any of the other 30 NFL teams.
So if the Rams were one of two, which is the other team to have had the #1 pick seven times? Yes folks, seven times!
Well that claim goes to the Indianapolis Colts.
From Baltimore to Indianapolis
By now we all now the story of how the Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore overnight. So it’s no surprise that our story starts in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1955, only 8 years after their founding, the Baltimore Colts secured the first pick in the NFL Draft – although in that era the #1 pick was determined by a lottery pick. But nonetheless the Colts held the first selection.
The first two articles in this series highlighted how much the game has changed in the modern era. In the early years of the draft, the predominant pick was for that of the halfback, given the dominance of the run game in the early part of the NFL’s history.
In fact by 1955, of the 20 drafts held only four Quarterback’s had been selected with the first overall pick. But things were changing. And in 1955 the Colts selected a Quarterback with their first pick. In fact, spoiler alert: With their next six #1 picks, the Colts selected another FOUR Quarterback’s. Maybe the Baltimore Colts were visionaries. As we’re about to find out, the Colts didn’t do too badly with their first picks.
A Bad Break
In 1955 the Colts selected Quarterback George Shaw from the University of Oregon. Like many players of that generation, Shaw excelled in dual sports and was an All American in both football and baseball.
Shaw was a very talented, sorry multi talented footballer. As an Oregon Duck, Shaw played six different positions for the football team – quarterback, receiver, running back, safety, kicker and punter and his versatility earned him the nickname, “Six-way Shaw”. As a defensive back for Oregon his record of 18 interceptions – 13 in 1951 alone – are records which stand to this day. Shaw was a star footballer.
So the Colts made their move to bring Shaw cross country to Baltimore.
Couple of interesting facts here. First up is that Shaw was the first Oregon Duck to be selected with the first pick in the draft, and to this day he remains the only #1 pick from the University of Oregon.
Secondly, Shaw had to choose which sport to pursue professionally. In baseball, Shaw was a centre fielder and a good one. But it was still surprising that the MLB team that had arguably the greatest centre fielder at the time and perhaps of all time – Mickey Mantle – would offer Shaw a contract to play baseball instead of football. So when it came time for the NFL Draft the Baltimore Colts had to offer Shaw a better contract than the Yankees to ensure he chose football. Which they duly did, and George Shaw became a Colt.
Shaw’s Colts career got off to a great start, establishing himself as QB 1 almost instantly. However fate was to deal Shaw a bad hand. In a game against the Chicago Bears, Shaw broke his leg. The Colts turned to their back up, a rookie who had never started a game in the NFL. A new chapter in NFL history was about to be written when that back up became one of the sports most famous quarterbacks. His name was Johnny Unitas, and Colts history was created.
However for Shaw, his Colts career was all but done. He remained in Indianapolis as Unitas’ back up for two years before being traded to the New York Giants where he spent his time being back up to another hall of fame quarterback, YA Tittle. Unbelievably Shaw’s next move to Minnesota as a Viking was also interrupted by another star in the making, when he lost his starting place to Fran Tarkenton.
George Shaw – fairly or unfairly – gained a reputation as being one of the unluckiest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Finally! De-fense!
So far in this series the picks have been either quarterbacks or halfbacks – essentially the skill positions. But in 1967 the Colts had the audacity or courage to select a defensive player with the first pick. This was only the second time that a defensive player had been selected first in the draft’s 32 year history.
However, before we get to the pick itself, the 1967 NFL Draft was history in the making. This draft was held in the Gotham Hotel in New York City and was the first combined AFL-NFL Draft . It was also the first time that it had been held in March. Previous drafts had been held on the last Saturday in November, immediately after the regular college season had ended.
It was also the year that the New Orleans Saints joined the league as an expansion team, and with it came the first pick. However the Saints decided to trade away that pick to the Baltimore Colts. In return for the #1 pick the Saints received quarterback Gary Cuozzo and the 26th pick -and with their first ever draft selection the New Orleans Saints took Alabama’s fullback, Leslie Kelley. Sadly Kelley never played a game for the Saints during the three years that he was in New Orleans.
But let’s get back to that first pick for the Colts.
Lofty Expectations for Hightower!
With their newly acquired first pick, the Colts selected a defensive player in a first round that included Quarterbacks Steve Spurrier and Bob Griese. But in this draft the Colts selected Michigan State defensive end, Bubba Smith.
Smith had a stellar career with the Spartans and is one of only six Spartans to have his jersey number retired. Smith was inducted into the College football hall of fame in 1988.
However even if you don’t instantly recognise the name, you almost certainly will recognise Bubba Smith. For Smith is probably better known as an actor and amongst many roles, he is best known for his character in the Police Academy films as Moses Hightower.
Smith played for the Colts for five years, playing in two Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl V in a close game with the Cowboys. Smith played for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers before retiring from the game in 1976.
However Smith will be forever remembered as the quiet giant from the Police Academy!
I'd rather be a garbage collector!
In the first article in this series, we found out about Tom Harmon being picked by the Chicago Bears but refusing to sign for them. Little did Harmon know that he was blazing a trail for some of the most famous names in NFL history at that time.
I’ve already given you a spoiler alert by letting you know that four of the next five Colts picks are quarterbacks. Which shows just how the game has changed over the last 60 years.
In 1983 the Colts, who still lived in Baltimore at that time, selected a Quarterback with their #1 pick. Little did the Colts know that they were about to experience one of the biggest sensations that the NFL had ever seen!
The 1983 Draft was titled the “Quarterback Class of 1983” with six Quarterbacks selected in the first round – Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Tony Eason, Ken O’Brien, and Todd Blackledge. This was the highest number of QB’s selected in the first round in NFL Draft history. A record which continues to this day, albeit the 2018 Draft also tied the number of QB’s drafted in round one.
The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that I have only listed five QB’s.
The QB who was picked at #1 was a star of the College game, playing in the then PAC10 for Stanford University. John Elway is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks that the game of football has ever seen. However his NFL career got off to a slow start.
Elway was a star for Stanford, and whilst he did not get the Cardinal to a bowl game he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1982. Elway’s college career was stellar and despite a lack of trophies he was inducted into the College football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Despite the high calibre of quarterback in that year’s draft, Elway was the consensus #1 pick and he was selected first by the Colts.
However, Elway was a native Californian who had not dreamed of playing football on the East Coast. The Colts head coach, Frank Kush, was also known as a tough coach who worked his players hard. Elway’s father did not think that Baltimore or Kush was the right place for his son to play in and counselled him against playing for the Colts.
Moreover, Elway had an ace up his sleeve. Like many before him, Elway was a dual sportsman and was a very talented baseball player. So talented was Elway that the Yankees had already drafted Elway and paid him $150,000 to play for their feeder team, the Oneonta Yankees in the summer league of 1982. So Elway had options.
Elway told the Colts that he did not want to play for them, stating his desire to play his football back on the West Coast or in Dallas with the Cowboys or in Miami for the Dolphins.
Negotiations become strained with Elway reluctant to go public with his desire to play on the West Coast. Regardless of the threats to play baseball the Colts drafted Elway thinking they could trade him. Word started to leak that Elway had not signed and teams started to express their interest in him.
Elway was furious and according to his agent, uttered the now famous line that he would be “a garbage collector before he’d play for Baltimore”.
On the day he was drafted Elway held a press conference saying “As I stand here right now, I’m playing baseball”.
However as it transpired, Colts owner Robert Irsay had entered into negotiations with the Denver Broncos ahead of the draft, fearful that the Colts could waste their #1 pick.
The rest they say is history. And the trade did make NFL history. Which is why you are reading this now.
The Colts traded Elway for offensive lineman Chris Hinton, who the Broncos had drafted in the same draft that Elway had been in. The trade also included back up Quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first round pick in the 1984 draft. Given that the Colts continued to languish in the doldrums until 1999, we can safely assume that the Broncos got the better deal!
The 1990's
After losing out on Elway the Colts franchise continued to struggle. In the 1990’s the Colts incompetence earned them three #1 picks in the space of eight years.
However finally the Colts found their generational quarterback – and a player would would take them from the bottom of the pile to the top and a World Championship.
But before that, the Colts would have two more #1 picks, and went on to select quarterback Jeff George in 1990 and defensive end Steve Emtman in 1992.
Jeff George played in Indianapolis for three seasons. George, who had played college football at the University of Illinois, signed the richest rookie contract in the history of the NFL – which netted him $15m. Despite the big contract George did not have a memorable Colts career, throwing 46 interceptions in 49 starts for the Colts. After refusing to join training camp in 1993 he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
Defensive tackle Emtman had an impressive career in college at the University of Washington, which put him on the radar of many NFL teams – especially the Colts who selected him with the first pick in the 1992 Draft.
Like George, Emtman is considered an epic draft fail for the Colts. Emtman’s Colts career was blighted by injuries. He got off to a great start, however in his ninth game he suffered a season ending knee injury. In the following season Emtman suffered the same injury in his other knee. In his third and final season in Indianapolis Emtman played four games before a neck injury finished his season and his Colts career. After salary negotiations stalled, the Colts decided to trade him to the Miami Dolphins.
Thankfully it was to be third time lucky for the Colts with their next #1 draft pick. The good times were just around the corner.
A New Sheriff in Town
In 1998 the undoubted star of the college game was the eldest son of Archie Manning – the former New Orleans quarterback. Archie’s son Peyton Manning had chosen not to follow in his fathers footsteps, and had shunned playing college ball at Ole Miss for Knoxville and the Tennessee Vols.
Manning’s college football achievements are as long as this already too long article. But most importantly for Vols fans, he delivered a SEC Championship in 1997 – which more than anything else etched his name into Tennessee legend.
That same year Manning came second in the Heisman Trophy voting, finishing behind Charles Woodson as he became the first defensive player to win the trophy.
Manning was selected first overall by the Colts in preference to the Washington State wunderkind, Ryan Leaf. While with the benefit of hindsight this selection us obvious, Leaf equally had a sensational college career – and at the time it would have been impossible to predict the off the field battles that Leaf fought with himself and addiction.
The Colts franchise was in the doldrums and desperately needed something or someone to transform them. Manning was that someone, and after he joined the Colts he led the franchise to 11 playoff appearances during his 14 year spell in Indianapolis. Manning, who is a first ballot Hall of Famer, continues to hold many NFL records and is considered one of the greatest ever to play the game.
He will be fondly remembered for bringing Indianapolis its second Vince Lombardi trophy, when the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
Manning left Indianapolis after fourteen years to continue to play his football in Denver, where he won his second Super Bowl ring – cementing his Hall of Fame status.
It’s fair to say that Peyton Manning helped transform the Colts franchise.
"Suck for Luck"
In 2011 Peyton Manning missed the entire season as a result of a neck injury. The Colts struggled badly without their star quarterback, with stand-in’s Kerry Colins and Curtis Painter unable to fill the void created by Manning’s absence.
Meanwhile on the West Coast a new superstar had emerged. And for the second time the Colts would turn to Stanford University for their next franchise quarterback. Hopeful that they would have more “Luck” than with John Elway.
Andrew Luck had decided to stay in Palo Alto for his senior year, despite draft analysts declaring that Luck was the most NFL ready QB in the 2011 NFL Draft.
In Luck’s final year at Stanford he won the Maxwell award, Walter Camp Player of the Year award and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting for the second successive year. Like Peyton Manning, Luck also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in his final season in college. Luck continues to hold numerous school, conference & NCAA records – including the highest completion percentage in a season – a record he had previously held and broke himself!
During the 2011 NFL season it became obvious that a number of teams were desperate for Luck’s services and the term “Suck for Luck” became commonplace – with the perception that some teams were deliberately tanking their season so as to secure the #1 Draft pick in 2012.
Despite Miami’s best efforts to suck – a season which Dolphins legend Dan Marino was heavily critical of – it was the Colts who ended the season at the bottom of the pile. The Colts declared ahead of draft day that they would be selecting Andrew Luck, avoiding any confusion or controversy in the lead up to the big event.
Luck was selected #1 overall and signed a rookie contract worth $22m. The “Lucky” era had started in Indianapolis.
In Luck’s first season he broke the record for the most passing yards recorded in a single game by a rookie. In fact, Luck’s stats in that first season were spookily similar to those of Manning’s first year in Indianapolis.
Andrew Luck won eight games in his debut season in the NFL, the most wins by a rookie in the history of the game. The Colts made it to the Playoff’s.
Luck’s second season in Indy was even more successful as he led the Colts again into the playoffs. Luck continued to break all sorts of NFL records, although the Colts’ run to a Super Bowl was halted by a New England Patriots team in the divisional round of the playoffs. A similar story would play out in Luck’s third year in the league, as he again led his team into the playoffs only to be beaten by the Patriots. Luck continued to break Manning’s Colts records as his influence on the league grew.
In 2015 injuries started to affect Luck’s game. Initially a shoulder injury stopped him from playing early in the season, before a far more serious lacerated kidney and torn abdominal muscle kept him out for a much longer period. Luck missed the rest of the season and the Colts missed the playoffs for the first time in Luck’s tenure.
Andrew Luck signed a new contract with the Colts in 2016, extending his time in Indianapolis by a further six years worth $140m ($87m guaranteed). However criticism was growing that the Colts weren’t doing enough to protect their quarterback while he was on the field. In the 2016 season Luck missed one game through concussion and at the end of the season underwent surgery on his throwing arm shoulder to repair damage caused during the year.
The shoulder surgery did not go as expected, and uncovered other wear and tear issues that Luck had built up over time. Luck missed all of training camp before it was announced that he would miss all of the regular season as he recovered.
For those that watched Andrew Luck take hit after hit in the previous seasons – allied to the Colts seeming reluctance to draft protection for their star quarterback – this was the news they were dreading.
Sadly and tragically, 2018 was to be Andrew Luck’s last season in the NFL. While Luck played in the season, questions still lingered over the health of his shoulder. Despite inconsistency Luck continued to show flashes of his brilliant old self and the Colts went on a five game winning streak with Luck setting new NFL records.
The Colts ended the regular season winning nine games and securing a wildcard place. Andrew Luck finished the regular season with 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns.
In the divisional round of the playoffs the Colts were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs 31-13. What Colts fans did not know was that this would be Andrew Luck’s final game.
Andrew Luck retried from the game, unexpectedly and without prior warning, on 24th August 2019 at the age of 29. Luck said at the time,
“To play quarterback, you’re not allowed to worry about anything except the task at hand, and that seeps into other areas of life. It’s not the healthiest way to live.”
I’ve been stuck in this process. I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game. The only way forward for me is to remove myself from football. This is not an easy decision. It’s the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me”.
Unlike many other professional athletes Luck has stayed retired until this day. He is not high profile and does not participate in the broadcast or commentary element of the game, periodically surfacing for sporadic interviews.
We will never know how good Andrew Luck could have been over the course of a longer NFL career. However in his short career he is considered to be one of the great quarterbacks. If you follow the Colts you will feel the pain today of a team without a franchise quarterback like Manning or Luck.
I just hope that whoever the Colts select in this year’s draft at quarterback, that they make the moves to protect their guy.
What could have been with Andrew Luck.
