Indianapolis Colts' Face of the Franchise: Who Rules in Indy?

With the Peyton Manning era of the Indianapolis Colts over, who is the all-time face of the Colts franchise?

The Colts have boasted a fair number of Hall of Fame inductees, as well as having a few players whose eligibility status is the only thing keeping them out of Canton.

They've also had a couple of players who were bigger than just being great athletes for the team. They truly revolutionized the franchise, a couple of cities—and even the game itself.

If the Colts were going to build a statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium tomorrow, who would it commemorate?

They have a few deserving candidates.

Raymond Berry

Ranked the 36th best player of all-time by NFL Network, Raymond Berry helped Johnny Unitas pioneer a new age in professional football.

A six-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, Berry established himself as the most feared pass-catcher in the league. With the Baltimore Colts' high-octane offense lighting the NFL on fire during the 1950s and on through the '60s, Berry became recognized as one of the top weapons the league had ever seen.

He was named a member of both the 1950s All-Decade Team and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

He went on to a reasonably successful coaching career, leading the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl berth against the Chicago Bears, which the Pats lost 46-10.

Despite catching only 33 passes in his entire college career and being selected in the 20th round of the NFL draft, Berry became one of the greatest players to ever wear the horseshoe.

Tony Dungy

A soft-spoken man, Tony Dungy will perhaps be best remembered as the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl.

He did so as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

A man of high moral caliber and a well-documented spiritual lifestyle, Dungy was a role model for many, and the perfect leader to a team that was held to a higher standard.

Despite his relatively short leadership of the Colts, Dungy will not soon be forgotten by the Colts faithful.

Robert Irsay

Often reviled as the greatest betrayal in sports history, Robert Irsay moved the Colts franchise from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night.

After the city of Baltimore threatened to seize control of the team from Irsay, he decided to take up the city of Indianapolis on its deal to receive the team. Irsay had the property of the team moved literally during the middle of the night, fearing that the city was planning to seize upon team headquarters at dawn.

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[The state legislature and the city of Baltimore] not only threw down the gauntlet, but they put a gun to his head and cocked it and asked, 'want to see if it's loaded?' They forced him to make a decision that day. —Michael Chernoff, the team's general counsel, after the move.

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For better or worse, Robert Irsay had given Indianapolis an NFL franchise, and is one of the most influential members of its history.

Johnny Unitas

Before being signed to the Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He worked in a steel mill and played semipro football on the weekends for $6 a game.

Not exactly Manning money.

But despite his humble beginnings, Johnny U would go on to lead one of the greatest careers in NFL history.

Prior to the NFL-AFL merger, he led the Colts to two NFL championships. After the two leagues merged, he led the Colts to the first Super Bowl win in franchise history, Super Bowl V.

A three-time MVP, Unitas practically revolutionized offense in the NFL. The Colts' up-tempo style of play was innovative, and Unitas reaped the benefits. They introduced the two-minute offense to the NFL, which quickly caught on with other teams. He led the league in yards and touchdowns several times.

When he retired, he held just about every passing record the NFL had to offer.

But while Unitas may have been the most influential Colt of all time, he never played in Indianapolis, where the team now resides.

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning's impact on the Indianapolis Colts cannot be understated: He is the Colts.

I say is, and not was, because it will be a long time, if ever, before he is unseated from his throne.

He is Colts football just as John Elway is Denver Broncos football. When history looks at the Indianapolis Colts, it will see Manning's fingerprints all over the pages.

He won an NFL-record four MVPs. He took the Colts to two Super Bowls, and won one of them. He set the NFL-record for touchdown passes in a season, though it was later broken. He is the main reason a state-of-the-art facility now resides in Indianapolis.

But it's more than that. When Manning arrived in Indianapolis in 1998, the city didn't care about football. It was a basketball city. The RCA Dome the Colts used to play in was empty and quiet.

Manning changed the culture of an entire city. He took Indy by the collar and told them to come watch the Colts. He told them to come see what they can do and promised to amaze them.

And he did.

Even after watching him go, there is no spite, at least towards Manning. There is no regret, except that we could've had him longer.

There are only memories.

Peyton Manning is the unquestionable face of Indianapolis Colts football. Just like the NFL needed Johnny Unitas, the Indianapolis Colts needed Manning.