Jeff Saturday: The Colts' Key to Sundays for the Past 13 Years

It's a career that almost never happened.

After going undrafted in the 1998 NFL Draft (in which the Colts selected Peyton Manning with the No. 1 overall pick), Jeff Saturday signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, but was waived before training camp even began. No one else picked up the North Carolina product and his future looked bleak, as the NFL had shut its doors on him.

And for one season, those doors remained completely closed. Saturday had no NFL connections during the 1998 season. Instead, he worked at an electrical supply store as a salesman, calling businesses and pitching products. It looked like that's where his business degree would take him in the "real world."

Then the Colts came calling in January 1999. It was a call that sparked and lit up a new chance at an NFL career for a man who had been selling fuse blocks for six months.

After starting two games at left guard his rookie season with the Colts, he became the full-time starter at center in 2000. Since then, Saturday has snapped balls to Manning for 170 of their 176 regular season games together. He missed the first four games of the 2008 season and two games in the middle of the 2004 season with injuries.

The five-time Pro Bowler has been one of the few constants in Manning's career. Manning's first coach, Jim Mora, is gone. His favorite target, Marvin Harrison, is gone. Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James are both gone. His long-time offensive coordinator, Tom Moore, recently moved to the Jets as an offensive "consultant."

Jeff Saturday is the oldest remaining fixture from Manning's professional career with the Colts.

Through everything that has happened to No. 18, he has always been able to count on Saturday—on Sunday. A lot has changed for both Manning and Saturday since that 2000 season, including a combined 16 Pro Bowls, but that center-quarterback exchange has stayed constant. 

When Saturday missed the first four games of the 2008 season, the Colts went 2-2. And in those two wins, the Colts had to scrap back late in the game to put themselves in a position to win. It's safe to say that Manning missed his center.

That was also the year that Peyton had surgery on his knee and missed the entire preseason. It looks as if he will do the same this season, but, again, will be ready to go by Week 1. Thankfully for Manning, he will have Saturday there to welcome him back this time around.

Saturday's role this year is more important than ever. Besides being a strong source of comfort and consistency for Manning, Saturday must also groom the next group of Colts offensive linemen this season. If the rumors are true and Ryan Diem moves to right guard, Saturday will be the only returning starter on the offensive line.

While Manning dances behind the line calling audibles, it is frequently Saturday changing the blocking scheme accordingly for the guys in the trenches. Not only will he have to continue to make the right calls correctly, he will have to coach up the line on what those calls mean as well. Indianapolis' blocking scheme isn't easy.

Saturday, whose most memorable block may be the 2006 AFC Championship game where he steered the Patriots' Vince Wilfork completely out of the picture so that running back Joseph Addai could score the winning touchdown—sending the Colts to the Super Bowl—must also help this young offensive line establish a force for the running game. The Colts didn't have any run game whatsoever last year; that must change this season.

The Colts can count on the Saturday to Manning exchange not going anywhere. Not too bad for a guy who initially thought his NFL career would only last two months in Baltimore.