Anthony Richardson Wants Indianapolis to be His Forever Home
These are the words QB Anthony Richardson shared after being asked by Mike Chappell if he has moved to Indianapolis.
“This is home, and I'm trying to make it home forever.”
The Colts QB Mount Rushmore has some heavy hitters, including Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, and Andrew Luck. This leaves big shoes for Richardson to step into, but could he become the first of that group to call Indianapolis home beyond his time wearing the horseshoe on his helmet?
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Johnny Unitas
Unitas is one of, if not the best, pinnacles of the Baltimore Colts football era. He is the second all-time passing yards leader in Colts franchise history with 39,768 yards as well as being second all-time in touchdowns thrown in Colts franchise history with 287. The Colts all-time great Unitas, though, did not hold the Colts franchise in high regard after the move to Indianapolis.
“You’re asking me about Indianapolis, I played for Baltimore,” Unitas said in 1996. This quote tells you a lot about how Unitas viewed the Indianapolis Colts franchise. He elaborated more on the subject by saying, “The tradition is in Baltimore. There is no reason for any of us who played for Baltimore to be with Indianapolis. They have never invited me there with a personal invitation, but if they had, I would have said, Thank you, but no thanks.”
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Andrew Luck
Luck is the biggest “What could have been” story in Colts' history, and possibly the biggest in NFL history. On August 24th, 2019, Luck retired from the NFL at the age of 29 after just seven seasons. In those seven seasons, Luck catapulted himself into elite company within the franchise finishing third all-time in passing yards and touchdowns with 23,671 yards and 171 touchdowns. In 2014, Luck broke the Colts single-season record for passing yards in a single season with 4,761 yards, surpassing Manning’s 2010 season where he threw for 4,700 yards.
Luck has only spoken about the Colts in high regard in his limited public interactions since his retirement. But Luck has made it a point to stay out of the public eye as much as humanly possible, and with a player of his status, he's done so very effectively. The now father of two has completely moved on from his playing days, and while he may support the franchise from afar, he has not been someone who you bump into while walking around downtown Indianapolis, or a former player who you see get thrown up on the big screens on game day.
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Peyton Manning
“The House that Peyton Built” is a sentiment many in the Indianapolis area use when describing the home of Colts football, Lucas Oil Stadium. Manning and the Colts will forever be linked to each other in the heart of fans as well as the record books, where he is the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns with 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns.
Manning’s impact on the city will forever be present, with the incredible work the Peyton Manning’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis has done and continues to do in lives of many. Visually, outside the stadium's north gate, a statue of Manning stands tall. There was a time where football was an afterthought to Indiana’s one true love of basketball. Still, Manning and the Colts worked their way into the hearts of Indiana, forming Colts country through many strong years, including the city’s first and only Super Bowl victory to date in 2006.
The franchise’s all-time passer wouldn't end his career in Indianapolis, though. Manning missed the 2011 season due to a neck injury, leading the Colts to owning the No.1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. With Luck available, the Colts would release the, at the time, 4-time MVP.
Manning would go on to sign with the Denver Broncos, where he would add another MVP to his mantle as well as winning his second Super Bowl during the 2015 season, He would then ride off into the sunset and hung it up after a historic career.
Since retiring, Manning became the first jersey number to be retired during the Colts' Indianapolis tenure and has been inducted into both the Colts and Broncos Rings of Honor. Manning also receiving his gold jacket in 2021 when he was inducted on his first-ballot into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The shock to many during his retirement has been the presence that he has in the city of Denver as opposed to his lackluster appearances in Indianapolis. The Manning’s call Denver home to this day, and the city gets to experience all that comes with that. Manning has been seen in multiple Broncos promotions, such as their past two schedule releases, and at the recent Denver Nuggets NBA Finals games. Also, each time the Colts have appeared on Monday Night Football in the past two seasons, ESPN’s “Manning Cast” has just so happened to not be airing.
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Anthony Richardson
A long line of talent at the QB position, but none of the long-lasting community aspect to show for it for the Colts. Could Richardson be the change to that notion? I recently got to speak with a member of the Colts staff, where they shared their first impression of the new Colts QB, but one quote that still stands out to me now is, “Every conversation with him, you can see his focus is on improving, and I don't just mean as a QB. He wants to know the area of Indianapolis better, he wants to be a better teammate, he wants to be a better man. He's tremendous to be around, and his overall want to be great is contagious.”
Richardson hasn't even played a down for the Colts but has embraced the city and team already. This brings us back to his quote from his presser to end Colts OTA’s.
“This is home, and I'm trying to make it home forever.”
It’s one thing for Richardson to say he wants to make it home forever, but for someone to observe him and share the sentiment that “he wants to know the area of Indianapolis better,” that speaks volumes.
As his career is about to get underway, it's too early to be looking at his post-playing days. But the impact it would have on the city of Indianapolis if he indeed makes Indy his “forever home” can not be overlooked.
