Four years ago, he wasn’t deemed to be fit to still be employed by the franchise. So, of course, Bill Polian will now receive a spot among the franchise’s all-time greats.
The Colts have announced that Polian will be added to the team’s Ring of Honor, the 13th person to receive the honor. The induction will happen at halftime of the Week 17 game against the Jaguars.
“Bill was incredibly successful during his time with our franchise and proved to be a Hall of Famer,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said. “He was one of the most innovative personalities to ever grace our sport, and his passion for the game was and still is unmatched. I will always be grateful to Bill for his contributions to the Colts, and to the NFL.”
Irsay nevertheless fired Polian after a 2-14 season that resulted in two wins in large part because Peyton Manning wasn’t available to play after multiple neck surgeries.
Polian joins Robert Irsay, Bill Brooks, Ted Marchibroda, Chris Hinton, Jim Harbaugh, “Colts Nation,” Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, and Jeff Saturday in a group that inevitably will include players like Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Robert Mathis.
From 1998 through 2011, Polian’s Colts went 143-81, a winning percentage of 63.8. Remove the 3-13 and 2-14 seasons that started and ended, respectively, his tenure and the Colts were 138-54, which translates to a 71.8-percent success rate.