Indianapolis Colts 2006 Super Bowl team could still be teaching us lessons

"The Colts went into halftime down 21-3," I explained to my grandfather the Monday after the Colts beat New England 34-31 in the AFC Championship Game, "but they came back and Tom Brady threw an interception to Marlon Jackson." Every Indianapolis Colts fan knows the line "Marlon's got it! The Colts are going to the Super Bowl!” The line kept playing through my head.

At just 16 years old, I celebrated that not only did the Colts get a Super Bowl win but Peyton Manning was cementing himself as the greatest of all time. The young NFL Network would go on to replay the AFC Championship every day and I got to watch it over, and over again since I was homeschooled.

Even better was the fact that the Colts beat New England twice that season, and for the first time, it was Indianapolis that sent Tom Brady packing to sit the offseason on his couch. Indy would go on to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl 29-17, which will go down as one of my favorite moments in my life. I sat on the couch after the game with my Manning jersey on, still sipping on the sparkling cider relishing the win in what felt like a fever dream.

Little did I know that would be the last time I would see the Colts hoist the Lombardi Trophy. A few years later the Colts would go on to lose to the New Orleans Saints against Drew Brees and the infamous onside second-half kickoff. I've never heard the end of that since my wife is a Saints fan. I will say, if the Colts were to lose to a team, I would've wanted to see my wife enjoy it.

18 years later that season is still regarded as one of the best in Colts history, The Indianapolis defense won the Super Bowl after being the worst rushing defense in the league and somehow, shutting down the league rusher and intercepting Tom Brady in the Playoffs, a feat not many people can say they have done. Regardless, the 2007 Colts team can still teach us lessons.