INDIANAPOLIS – Come Saturday night of Super Bowl week, Edgerrin James' ears will be ringing.
For the first time in his two years of Hall of Fame eligibility, James' name will be debated as a finalist for induction.
James is one of 15 finalists for the 2016 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
From a semifinalist in 2015, to a finalist this year, James is likely to eventually don a gold jacket.
While it might not be this year, James’ numbers rival that of the majority of Hall of Fame running backs.
What do James' former teammates remember about Edge?
Colts linebacker Gary Brackett (2003-2011):
"You used to call them Edge-isms. He used to have his own little logic and thinking. Most guys in the locker room anything goes. Guys just spit out facts whether it's factual or not. But Edge would always reserve his opinion until he did research on a topic. Edge read like every night. Everybody just thought this phenomenal player would show up on Sunday's and he was just a great player, but he was so intelligent. People wouldn't give him credit for it.
"We played chess almost every away game, flying to the stadium and flying back. He wasn't the biggest fan of airplanes, so he played chess to keep his mind off the plane. Me, a young, 23-year-old kid, playing against this potential Hall of Famer, he was so even keel and I got so much smarter sitting there. I think I owe so much of my success in a lot of those conversations for how he approached the game. That's how I approached the game in how I took care of my body, eating the right stuff, what I did in the community, giving back."
Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson (2005-2009):
"As far as a running back goes, what couldn't he do? He was one of the most well-rounded running backs to ever play in the National Football League. To be able to hit the home run, to catch the ball out of the backfield, to pick up blitzes, he was a guy that was reliable/dependable and a playmaker at the same time. It's not too often you get that type of value out of that position.
"You look at the age and time we are in now, where you have to have multiple backs---you have your first/second down back and you have your third-down back. Edge was all of those things wrapped up into one. That's what made him unique and made him one of the best running backs to come through the National Football League, especially the organization of the Colts."
Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi (2004-2009):
"What got overlooked with Edge, and it's not going to show up in his numbers, is his pass protection. My man could pass protect like nobody's business. If a linebacker came off the edge, if we gapped down to a linebacker and a defensive end came off the edge, he was sticking them and gave Peyton so much time to throw the ball. I think that gets over shadowed. Nowadays you have a third-down back that's going to be your pass protector or catch the ball out of the backfield. Edge could run, catch and block."
