Colts: 3 Indy legends who belong in Ring of Honor

The Indianapolis Colts are notoriously stingy with their Ring of Honor admissions. Can we change that?

The stated goal of the Ring of Honor is to enshrine a team’s most prominent players for the duration of a franchise’s tenure, but the Colts have by and large reserved their space for the elite of the elite … and also Jim Harbaugh.

I say, where’s the fun in that?

My Ring of Honor would be for the legends, yes, of course, but wouldn’t you want to also enshrine the good-to-great players who were essential Colts, but will never sniff Canton? There are still some Indy heroes who have yet to receive the honor, including some essential parts of the Super Bowl XLI roster.

I ask you, what are we waiting for here?!

3. Dallas Clark

Tight end Dallas Clark belongs in the Colts Ring of Honor.

All of Dallas Clark’s offensive complements from that great Colts team have been honored. So what gives here?

Clark played nine seasons in Indy (11 years in the NFL total), and while he didn’t post the gaudy numbers of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, the expectation that he’d do so is ridiculous.

Instead, Clark was the bonafide safety valve for Peyton Manning, and filled that role spectacularly well. In Indy’s Super Bowl-winning season of ’06, Clark hauled in four TDs for 367 yards, but he busted out in the year that followed, snagging a remarkable 11 TDs from Manning.

Clark operated as a supreme red zone threat, but could also disappear up the seam essentially whenever he wanted. Caught in a crowded receiving corps, he was the Colt you could usually assume would be open, with so much other activity to account for.

Only a Pro Bowler once, but so much more valuable than that, Clark deserves this honor. Outside of something at his alma mater of Iowa, it’s probably the most likely one he’ll obtain.