Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are an American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team is a member of the South division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Since the 2008 season, the Colts have played their games in Lucas Oil Stadium. Previously, the team had played for over two decades (1984–2007) at the RCA Dome.

The Colts have been a member club of the NFL since their founding in 1953 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Colts were one of three NFL teams to join the teams of the American Football League (AFL) to form the American Football Conference following the 1970 merger. While in Baltimore, the team advanced to the playoffs 10 times and won three NFL Championship games: in 1958, 1959, and 1968. The Colts played in two Super Bowl games while it was based in Baltimore, losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, while defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. The Colts relocated to Indianapolis in 1984 and have since appeared in the playoffs 16 times, won two conference championships, and won one Super Bowl, defeating the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Indianapolis

Indianapolis (/ˌɪndiəˈnæpəlɪs/) is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County. With an estimated population of 848,788 in 2014, Indianapolis is the largest city in Indiana, second largest in the American Midwest, and 14th largest in the U.S.Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson is the 33rd largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with nearly 2 million inhabitants. Residents of the city are occasionally referred to as "Indianapolitans," although this archaic term is rarely used.

Indianapolis was founded in 1821 near the confluence of the White River and Fall Creek as a planned city for the new seat of Indiana's state government. The city's economy is diverse, including health care, life sciences, manufacturing, motorsports, and transportation and logistics, contributing to a gross domestic product (GDP) of $125.8 billion in 2014. Three Fortune 500 companies are based in the city: Anthem Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, and Calumet Specialty Products Partners. Nicknamed the Crossroads of America, Indianapolis is the junction for four Interstate highways and six U.S. highways. Indianapolis International Airport is a major international cargo hub, ranking as the 23rd busiest airport in the world by cargo traffic in 2014. Indianapolis is considered a "high sufficiency" global city.

Andrew Luck

Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford, won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award as college football's player of the year, and was recognized as an All-American. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in both 2010 and 2011. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 (Pac-10) Conference in both 2010 and 2011. CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted, while the Kansas City Star put him in line with LeBron James and Bryce Harper as "the most hyped amateurs in recent sports memory".

Although widely projected as the first overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season. A year later, he was selected first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.

In his first three professional seasons, Luck has led the Colts to three playoff appearances including two division titles in 2013 and 2014, also earning a Pro Bowl selection in each season. Also, in the 2013-14 NFL playoffs, he led the Colts to the second largest playoff comeback in NFL history. Primarily known for his passing, Luck has also established himself as an elite running quarterback.

Peyton Manning

Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A five-time league MVP, he played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons between 1998 and 2011. Manning is a two-time Super Bowl winner (XLI and 50), and has also appeared in the game two other times, becoming the only quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two different franchises more than once each and the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. He is a son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and an elder brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (who himself has won two Super Bowls).

Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season. He was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Manning's playing career and statistics have ranked him among the greatest passing quarterbacks of all-time. From 1998 to 2010, he led the Indianapolis Colts to eight (seven AFC South and one AFC East) division championships, two AFC championships, and a Super Bowl championship (XLI).