Indianapolis Colts: 30 greatest players in franchise history
. Defensive Tackle. 1953-66. Gino Marchetti. 4. player. 46
If there’s one guy on this list who doesn’t get nearly the attention he deserves, it’s Gino Marchetti. Now it’s easy to overlook a defensive tackle who played well before most current Colts fans were even born. However, you now have no excuse to be unaware of Marchetti.
Just take a look at this guy’s list of accolades: 11 Pro Bowls, nine All-Pro honors, two NFL championships, and inclusion on the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Seriously, his Pro Football Hall of Fame bio calls him one of “game’s greatest and most feared defensive ends.” Just a quick peak at the film available of Marchetti will show you an unstoppable force whose goal was to demolish any plans the offense had of moving the ball down the field. Whether he was stuffing the run or terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, he did it all.
Marchetti may be overlooked by the younger generation, and it’s understandable to an extent. However, you can’t legitimately call yourself a Colts fan until you’ve gotten a glimpse at the greatness that was Marchetti.