Indianapolis Colts Football

THE BJOERN SOCIAL REACTION

Tweets from players, fans, and Colts enthusiast about the Colts first overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, Bjoern Werner DE/OLB from Florida State.

COLTS FAN CASEY: 2013 DRAFT BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation!? Yes it is Draft Day and yes Colts Fan Casey is back out of hibernation to ring in the real start of the 2013 season, the NFL Draft. It’s a little hard to get more excited about this year’s draft than last year’s considering the fact we drafted Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, but there’s a lot of reasons to be excited. One of those being that we go into the 2013 Draft without a laundry list of needs since we addressed the “BIG NEEDS” via free agency. I won’t talk too much about the free agency signings other than the fact I am VERY pleased with the direction that Ryan Grigson went with his acquisitions.

Now back to the Draft and more specifically Draft Weekend. The Colts have a lot of stuff going on for their fans throughout the next few days. Details below…

Thursday April 25^th

-        Draft Party at Colts Grille presented by New Era and Bud Light

• Antoine Bethea and Donald Brown will be signing autographs from 7:00pm-9:00pm
• Four Colts cheerleaders signing autographs from 7:oopm-9:00pm
• Blue, the official Colts mascot
• Lombardi trophy
• Colts trivia to win prizes and giveaways!
• 1070 The Fan Live Remote broadcast
• New Era Draft Hat display
• Bud Light Promotional Team
• 1070 The Fan and Hank FM promotional giveaways
• First 24 fans to show their Colts NFL Extra Points Credit Card will receive an autographed Adam Vinatieri mini-helmet courtesy of Barclays

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

-        Live broadcast of the Colts Draft Radio Show… LISTEN HERE

Friday April 26^th

-        Google+ Hangout presented by New Era and Lids with our first draft choice LIVE on Colts.com or on our Google+ Page scheduled to start at 3PM. Plus, I’ll be hosting it!

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

Friday April 26^th

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

Of course, don’t forget to follow the Colts on Twitter as they will be bringing you up-to-the-minute updates about draft status, selections, and more!

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter too!

Yours in Football,

FRIDAY CHAT TO TAKE PLACE AT 11 A.M.

Looking for a place to have your Colts questions answered at the end of the week? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Beginning on Friday, I will host a one-hour chat called “Horseshoe Roundup” beginning at 11 a.m. During the offseason, the chat will take place every two weeks and it will move to a weekly schedule once the regular season gets closer.

The chat will cover a variety of topics with the focus being the pertinent news during that time period. I will take your questions and try to answer as many as I can during the hour.

For this week, we have the recent signing of wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. What are your thoughts on the former No. 7 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft? Is the Indianapolis offense the ideal fit for the speedster to find a niche?

How about the other free agent pickups? Colts GM Ryan Grigson and his personnel department have been busy adding pieces on both sides of the football over the last month.

Lastly, the preseason schedule was just announced with the regular season schedule coming later this month.

Feel free to join the chat via this link around 11:00 a.m. on Friday (scroll to the bottom of the page) and we will talk for an hour about whatever is on your mind.

COLTS ANNOUNCE PRESEASON SCHEDULE

2013 Indianapolis Colts Preseason Schedule

Week 1: Buffalo Bills (game will be played between 8/8-8/11)

Week 2: @New York Giants (8/18 on FOX at 8 p.m.)

Week 3: Cleveland (game will be played between 8/22-8/25)

Week 4: @Cincinnati (game will be played between 8/29-8-30)

The Colts will once again be back in the national spotlight during the 2013 preseason.

In Week Two of the preseason, Indianapolis will travel east to take on the New York Giants (9-7 in 2012) on August 18, in an 8 p.m. kickoff, on FOX. Last year, the Colts played the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC in Week Two of the preseason.

Indianapolis will open up the preseason at home for the fourth consecutive season. The Buffalo Bills (6-10 in 2012) will head to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week One (8/8-8/11). The contest with the Bills is the first preseason game for the two since meeting in Toronto, Canada back during the 2010 preseason.

After an away contest with the Giants, the Colts will return home in Week Three (8-22/8-25) to take on the Cleveland Browns (5-11 in 2012). The Colts have a 5-2 preseason record all-time against the Browns and Cleveland split 2011 and 2012 road regular season matchups with Indianapolis.

For the 11^th straight season, the Cincinnati Bengals (10-6 in 2012) and Colts will conclude the preseason (8-29/8-30) in an I-74 matchup. The Colts won last year’s home contest and will now travel to Paul Brown Stadium in 2013.

The Colts finished the 2012 preseason with a 2-2 record, which was the first time Indianapolis has been at least .500 in the preseason since 2004.

THE LAST WORD – MARCH 22nd EDITION

On this week’s edition of the Last Word, Jeffrey Gorman, Jimmy “Mad Dog” Matis and Matt Taylor lead off with NCAA brackets and the rest of the top storylines in sports.  NFL free-agency is still in high gear, and the fellas weigh-in on the all the recent moves on NFL Quick Hits.  Stopping by to explain some of the basketball upsets so far will be ESPN and CBS college basketball analyst Bill Raftery.  The boys also give their predictions for the weekend and unveil a new segment, “What Would Dog Do” as listeners submit their quandaries  seeking Dog’s infinite and versatile wisdom.  Don’t miss this week’s version of the Last Word starting at 5:30pm on FM 107.5, 1070 The Fan, and http://www.1070thefan.com.

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Dwight Freeney applied many visuals to opposing quarterbacks in his days with Indianapolis.

Freeney, the club’s all-time sack leader with 107.5 produced 66 of his takedowns at home – 37.5 at the RCA Dome and 28.5 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

As Freeney departs Indianapolis, there is one more visual now.

His mural on Lucas Oil Stadium now reads, “Thanks for the memories!”

Freeney will become an unrestricted free agent on March 12, and will continue his career with another team.

The Colts wanted to thank one of their most popular players with the message.

Freeney had 25 multiple-sack games while leveling 53 different opposing quarterbacks.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS USE FRANCHISE TAG ON PUNTER PAT MCAFEE

The Indianapolis Colts have designated its franchise tag on punter Pat McAfee.

“It’s an honor to know that I’ll be a member of the Indianapolis Colts for at least another year,” said McAfee. “I love the city, I love the team, and I love being a member of the community. I obviously hope to work out a long-term deal to stay here forever, but one more guaranteed year is awesome. Go Colts.

McAfee enters his fifth NFL season after being selected by the Colts in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft (222^nd overall). In his career (63 games), he has totaled 290 punts for a franchise record 45.5 average while adding a long kick of 66 yards, which he set in 2010. McAfee has also pinned 89 punts inside the 20-yard line as well as contributing with 123 touchbacks on kickoffs.

In 2012, McAfee set franchise single season records for punting average (48.2), net punting average (40.3), 50.0-yard average games (five) and tied the mark for punts inside the 20-yard line (26). He also established a team record for kickoff touchbacks (45) in a single season.

As a rookie in 2009, McAfee was named to the PFW/PFWA and The Sporting News NFL All-Rookie Teams.

SATURDAY TO RETIRE AS A MEMBER OF THE COLTS

Former NFL center Jeff Saturday will officially retire as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. The 14-year veteran who spent 13 seasons with the Colts will make his retirement official at a press conference on Thursday, March 7, at noon at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.  Watch it streaming on Colts.com/live.

“The years I spent with the Colts were truly remarkable and I am honored to be able to retire as a member of one of the classiest organizations in the NFL,” said Saturday. “I also want to thank Green Bay for the opportunity to compete as a member of the Packers last season. During my time in Indianapolis, I made tremendous relationships with numerous teammates, coaches and staff within the organization. It was also a pleasure playing for Mr. Irsay who is a wonderful owner. He gave tremendous support for my wife and I in all of our community endeavors. There were so many successful seasons that I was part of, but nothing tops our Super Bowl championship during the 2006 season. I’ll never forget the support of Colts fans and the City of Indianapolis during my time here. My wife and I love this community and have established our roots here. We’re looking forward to the next chapter in Indianapolis.”

Saturday started 202-of-211 contests in his NFL career with the Colts and Packers. His 13 seasons in Indianapolis rank tied for the third most in franchise history, while his 197 games played is currently tied for fourth in team annals. Saturday was named to three Associated Press NFL All-Pro teams and was selected to five Pro Bowls. He celebrated a Super Bowl XLI Championship during the 2006 campaign.

Saturday was part of an offensive line that assisted the Colts in generating 5,000-plus net yard seasons from 1999-2010. In 2010, the offensive line allowed 16.0 sacks, tied for the fewest in the NFL. It also marked the fifth time the club ranked first in the category with Saturday in the lineup (2004-2006, 2009-2010). The offensive line helped quarterback Peyton Manning become the only NFL quarterback with 13 consecutive seasons with 25-plus touchdown passes and 3,000-plus passing yards. Saturday and Manning also surpassed Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton and center Mick Tingelhoff for the most starts by a quarterback-center duo in NFL history with 170. The team’s record during those starts was 120-50.

Saturday was also an instrumental figure for the NFL Players Association during the 2011 collective bargaining agreement negotiations. He worked diligently with other members of the NFLPA and the NFL to end a lockout prior to the start of the season.

Natalie’s Notes #1- The BIGGEST game of the year!

Hey it’s Natalie. Thanks for stopping in to check out my blog. I’ve just recently finished up my 5th year as an Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader. I will be using this blog to answer any questions you may have about auditions, games or life as an NFL Cheerleader! One of the greatest experiences I’ve had as a ‘Sweetheart of the Horseshoe’ was being a part of a Super Bowl, and I’ve actually experienced two! With the big game being this weekend I thought I would share a little insight on my experience of this crazy and exciting week!
My first Super Bowl experience was in 2009 at Super Bowl XLIV, which took place in Miami against the New Orleans Saints. This was my second year on the squad, so having our whole team travel to Miami was a great privilege. We spent the whole week leading up to the big game in Miami, a week full of once in a lifetime appearances and unforgettable events. The hotels, streets and beach were decked out in Super Bowl decor. The best part about that? Half of it was COLTS decor! Even though Super Bowl XLIV did not work out in our favor, it was awesome to see all our fans come together to cheer on and support our ‘Boys in Blue’.
My second Super Bowl experience was last season when Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI. Even though our Colts were not fortunate enough to make it to the big game, we as cheerleaders still had a fun and crazy work load. During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, each day was full of multiple appearances, ranging from autograph signings to show performances. Each day’s performance had a different theme, such as “Breast Cancer Awareness” and “Old School” performances. A group of girls were lucky enough to appear on the Jimmy Fallon show right here in Indy! My favorite memories from last year’s Super Bowl was my Game Day appearance, where about 16 of us performed inside the stadium on game day. For the performance we were in a convention room transformed into a winter wonderland. The room was completely covered in white, with fake snow and even an ice rink. We danced on stage in the middle of the room 3 separate times, signing autographs between performances. It was exciting to see fans coming from all over the world, especially our hometown supporters of our Boys in Blue. Each Super Bowl provided unforgettable memories. It was a great honor to play a unique roles in each event.

Have a topic or question for Natalie’s Notes? Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Sincerely,

Natalie

COACH PAGANO & RYAN GRIGSON ON THE HIRING OF BRUCE ARAINS BY THE CARDINALS

Below are quotes from Indianapolis Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson and Head Coach Chuck Pagano on Bruce Arians being hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

General Manager Ryan Grigson

“We congratulate Bruce on this great opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals. The exceptional job he did this past season in keeping this team focused, combined with his long record of accomplishment, made him a very attractive candidate for a head coaching position and we congratulate the Cardinals on their good judgment in selecting him. BA did a remarkable job last season, filling in for his friend and head coach in a time of need. Without BA’s selflessness, leadership, football acumen, and competitive spirit, we couldn’t have had the season we did. We surely will miss BA’s presence as a coach and a friend but we’re delighted for him and we wish Bruce, Chris, and their entire family nothing but the best as they embark on their new journey.”

Head Coach Chuck Pagano

“We are excited for Bruce, Chris, and his entire family. This is an opportunity of a life time and I know he will do a great job. Arizona hired a great coach but a better man. What he did in my absence was truly remarkable. I am forever in debt to Bruce. He is and always will be a great friend and I wish him nothing but the best as he begins this new chapter in his life.”