INDIANAPOLIS– Colts fans needed no Thanksgiving night reminder of exactly how thankful the organization and its fan base remain for the quiet, yet victorious, duo of Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison.
Dungy and Harrison won 92 games as head coach and wide receiver for the Colts, respectively, in just seven seasons.
Those wins included a 29-17 win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI, a comeback win in the 2006 AFC Championship game against the Patriots, and five straight AFC South Division titles.
Colts Owner Jim Irsay and Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker encapsulated those memories for Colts fans at halftime Thursday night.
Following comments from Irsay and Baker, Dungy and Harrison were presented with their Pro Football Hall of Fame rings to cap off the August 6 enshrinement in Canton.
"It is awesome being back here," Dungy said while meeting with the media following the ceremony.
"We happened to be broadcasting the game for NBC, and it is Steelers vs. Colts. The Steelers was where I started my career and got so much foundation from the Rooney family and from Chuck Noll and nine hall of fame teammates. Indianapolis was where I ended my career with the Irsay family and a Super Bowl Championship."
As Dungy traced the start of his career back to Pittsburgh, Colts fans still likely recall a vivid moment that featured Harrison and the Steelers. That also came in the month of November, when Peyton Manning found Harrison down the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown at the RCA Dome. The Colts ended up beating the Steelers 26-7 en route to their third straight AFC South Championship in 2005.
"There are a lot of memories and a lot of people that still work here in the stadium that you get a chance to see that I haven't seen in years," Harrison said. "It is always good to come back to this town. It is like a family."
While recognized for their past successes with the Colts, Dungy and Harrison both offered some input on the present day; some serious and some not so much.
Famed for his "Tampa 2" style defense, Dungy remarked that while some believe football has changed, success still relies on the personnel and a commitment to execution.
"The style of defense that we played, I learned it in the 70s and it worked in the 70s, 90s and the 2000s," he said. "It is all about the players and playing well and executing the fundamentals, so I don't think that part is ever going to change."
Harrison, however, was asked about the current state of his game.
"Everyone said (I can still play) but I will pass on that," he responded. "I will definitely pass."
