The Colts on Wednesday dedicated the media room at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center to Mike Chappell, the highly-respected beat writer who's covered the team ever since they arrived in Indianapolis in 1984.
The media room on 56th Street is now known as the Mike Chappell Media Room. Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward unveiled a plaque in the media room honoring Chappell's decades of dedication to reporting on and telling stories about the Colts.
Attending the surprise ceremony Wednesday were Chappell's wife, Cathy, several of his former colleagues, Colts general manager Chris Ballard and vice president of team engagement David Thornton. Head coach Shane Steichen and wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne also popped in to congratulate the dean of the Colts beat. The ceremony also included video messages from Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James.
Chappell began covering the Colts for the Anderson Daily Bulletin in 1984. He covered the Colts for the Indianapolis Star from 1989-2013, then for WRTV-6 for a year and has been with Fox 59/CBS4 ever since. He's covered Hall of Famers – from Eric Dickerson to Manning – and Super Bowls, as well as not-so-celebratory moments, with accuracy and professionalism for four decades.
Chappell was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a member of the prestigious Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee.
Chappell is a native of Beech Grove, Ind., and attended Ball State University.
