This Sunday, at halftime of the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, former Colts running back Edgerrin James will be inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor at Lucas Oil Stadium. James was a catalyst to the building up of a decades-worth of successful seasons for the Colts. Alongside Peyton Manning and wide out Marvin Harrison, James helped to establish Indianapolis as a championship contender on a yearly basis.
The induction honor for James is well deserved. In 1999, James won offensive rookie of the year, and the Colts’ record went from 3-13 in 1998, to 13-3 with James in the backfield. In his first two seasons as a pro, James led the NFL in rushing, becoming the first player in history to win the rushing title in his first two seasons. James left the Colts in 2006, as the all-time leading rusher in franchise history. James is listed as 11th all-time in the NFL in rushing yards.
After the Colts won Super Bowl XLI in 2006, the franchise decided to send James a Super Bowl ring, in respect for the efforts he put in as a Colt. When history looks back on the rise of the Colts in Indianapolis, Edgerrin James will no be considered as a major factor in the team’s success. Marvin Harrison was inducted into the Ring of Honor last season. One day, Peyton Manning will be there too, once again right beside Harrison and Edgerrin James.