5 Other Candidates for Colts Ring of Honor

AP Photo/Paul Jasienski

Bob Sanders, Colts Safety (2004-2010)

Age: 34

NFL Draft: 2004, Round 2: Pick 44

Career Highlights: 2x Pro Bowler, 2 First-Team All-Pro, AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2007), Super Bowl XLI Champion

Colts Highlights: Bone-crushing hits and big defensive plays

Summary: As the catalyst of the Colts Super Bowl winning defense in 2006, the Colts were simply a different animal with Bob Sanders on the field. Known for flying around the field with reckless abandonment at safety, Sanders gave the Colts toughness and a much-needed mean streak in the back of their secondary. His delivering of big hits and overall playmaking ability is what gave the Colts an identity and elevated the unit into something truly special. When things were going well, it wasn’t mere coincidence the defense’s human missile was healthy on the field, helping to stop the run.

While Sanders peak with the Colts was short-lived, boy did it ever burn bright. He won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, the only player ever in Colts franchise history to do so. It wasn’t because of a lack of heart or hustle that Sanders career was cut short, but rather due to his intense physical playing style, his body ultimately began to betray him. Still, Sanders was a true difference maker out there and a driving force behind the Colts winning their 1st Super Bowl championship in Indianapolis.