Former Colts Punter Hunter Smith finding enjoyment in music around the state of Indiana

After 12 years of life in the NFL, Hunter Smith was ready for his next challenge.

The days of booming footballs were behind him and next up was the thrill of performing music in front of thousands of people.

“I looked around at the rest of the NFL and I saw people were having a really hard time making that transition from football to normal life and I knew that the reason for that difficulty was they didn’t have anything else going on,” Smith said last week on “The Ride with JMV”.

“I just decided that I’m going to say, “This is the line. I’ve crossed it. I’m done and it’s time to move on with life.”

Smith spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons as the punter for the Indianapolis Colts and has returned to the state where he went to college to further pursue a career in the music industry.

The Hunter Smith Band is continuing to grow and opened up for Rascal Flatts at Klipsch Music Center over the weekend.

Over the next three months, the band will perform at seven different venues across the state (Schedule Here).

Following the 2010 season with the Redskins, Smith sat down with his family and realized the joy of playing in the NFL had diminished.

The decision was not easy, but he felt the time was then to hang up the cleats and pick up the guitar.

“My experience is most NFL players leave the NFL game, lonely, injured or cut. There are very few Ray Lewis’ in the world. As a result most people leave the game not on their terms,” Smith said.

“I just knew with young children, I didn’t want to go play a year there, a year here, and do that whole thing. I knew it was time to put aside possibly any desire I had to play the game, which had dwindled and move forward with life in a different direction.”

That direction has led him to playing in Iowa (at Dallas Clark’s charity golf outing) and Louisville (at the Colts Fan Fest).

The trips around the Midwest, and even one to Texas, are one thing with the Hunter Smith Band but nothing compares to being permanently back in Indiana.

Smith recalls a story that former Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh told him several years ago on calling Indiana home.

“Jim Harbaugh told me, “Indianapolis is the Land of Milk and Honey. If I could ever go back, I will because I love the people there.”

“My wife and I have found that to be true,” Smith said. “I’ve never forgotten that he said that. It’s resonated through the years and as the result we plan on living and dying here.”

COLTS ANNOUNCE KICKOFF CONCERT FEATURING GIN BLOSSOMS

Free Concert to be Held on Georgia Street in Downtown Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – With the start of the Indianapolis Colts regular season just over two months away, the team announced today that they will host their first ever Kickoff Concert on Friday, September 6, in Downtown Indianapolis. The event, which will be free and open to the public, will feature multi-platinum recording artist Gin Blossoms (bio and photo attached), performers of the smash hits “Hey Jealousy”, “Found Out About You”, “Allison Road”, “Until I Fall Away”, “Til I Hear It From You”, and “Follow You Down.” The concert will be held on the west block of Georgia Street in conjunction with Indianapolis Downtown Inc. and Emmis Communications.

The Colts will host the Oakland Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium two days after the concert, on Sunday, September 8, for their regular season home opener. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

WHAT:           2013 Colts Kickoff Concert, featuring Gin Blossoms

• Colts Cheerleaders and Blue
• Register to Win
• Give-A-Ways
• Bud Light Boardwalk Beer Garden

WHEN:           Friday, September 6, 2013

                        6-10 p.m.

WHERE:        Georgia Street

                        Between Illinois St. and Capitol Ave.

                        Downtown Indianapolis

COST:             Free and open to the public

WEBSITE:      www.colts.com/events

This year marks the 30^th season for the Indianapolis Colts. The kickoff concert is one of several events the team is planning to host leading up to regular season kickoff. Stay tuned to www.colts.com for additional information.

COLTS DAILY HEADLINES: JULY 2ND EDITION

Each morning Colts.com will take a look at the top headlines surrounding the Indianapolis Colts from around the globe. What is the local and national media saying about the Colts?

Take a look below at the top five pieces from Tuesday, July 2^nd

All-time Indy Colts offensive tackles: Tarik Glenn and Chris Hinton

By: Mike Chappell, Indianapolis Star

It’s time for the men in the trenches to be named to Chappell’s all-Indy team.

Chappell went back to the 80s for one of his tackles in Northwestern’s Chris Hinton and matched him with the massive Tarik Glenn.

“Chris was an animal,’’ former Colts safety Mike Prior told Colts.com in 2012. “He was a big guy who played from whistle-to-whistle, and maybe a little longer. Chris had that determination and fire in him that you see with the great ones.’’

(Former Colts offensive line coach Howard) Mudd insisted Glenn played at a comparable level.

“You’ve got to put Tarik right there,’’ he said.

Colts single-game ticket sales to start July 15

By: News Service, Indy Star

Come July 15, around 10 A.M., Colts fans will be scurrying to their phones in an effort to snatch up the final few available tickets for home games during the 2013 season.

The press release that was sent out on Monday included the following information on the ticket availability.

Tickets will be available at the Lucas Oil Stadium ticket office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and online at ticketmaster.com.

A limited number of tickets will be available for both preseason home games and seven of the eight regular season home games. The Colts versus Denver Broncos game Oct. 20 is sold out.