INDIANAPOLIS–A new name will be added to the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor this weekend.
Former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney will be added into the Ring of Honor Sunday afternoon (November 10) when the Colts take on the Miami Dolphins.
“From the first day Dwight Freeney stepped on the field we knew he was special,” said Colts owner & CEO Jim Irsay. “Sixteen seasons later, Dwight exceeded every expectation we had and became one of the game’s best pass rushers ever. He was an artist and a terror on the field, and his patented spin move was a nightmare for every offensive lineman he faced. More importantly, he was a leader in the locker room and a gentleman off the field who represented the Horseshoe with honor. We are proud to have his name and legacy live alongside the greatest Colts to play this game.”
Freeney won the Super Bowl with the Colts in 2007, made the Pro Bowl seven times, and was first-team All-Pro three times. He remembered what it was like to play with Quarterback Peyton Manning in an interview with 93 WIBC’s Hammer and Nigel Thursday.
“Peyton let me do my thing on defense, while he did his thing on offense. We didn’t have to yell at each other because all believed in each other,” Freeney said to Hammer and Nigel.
Freeney says that probably wasn’t always easy for him to do because the defense had moments where they really struggled.
“Peyton was always a stand-up guy. I can point out many occasions and times where things were really bad on the defensive end, where we couldn’t stop. He came up to us one time and said, ‘Don’t worry, we got you.’ You could get upset or you could go about it in a positive manner, like Peyton multiple times throughout his career. It’s not pointing the finger,” Freeney said.
Freeney finished his career tied for 17th in NFL history in sacks and 5th in forced fumbles. Upon his retirement, Freeney ranked tied for fifth in league history in career postseason sacks.
Freeney also registered a sack in 81 games and had 25 multi-sack games, which each rank second-most in team history. In 11 seasons in Indianapolis, he compiled seven seasons with 10 or more sacks, including a career-high 16 sacks in 2004 (second-most in single-season team history). Freeney also led the league in sacks in 2004.
But for Freeney, he says the real joy went beyond the teams he played for on the field.
“Obviously, we had great teams and we won a lot of games within those years, but it’s those memories that you can’t really replace as friends. It was more of a family-type of atmosphere than just a team. We really were a unit,” Freeney said.
Freeney also played for the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, and the Detroit Lions. Freeney retired as a Colt in 2018.
(PHOTO: George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
