INDIANAPOLIS – The franchise's all-time leader in wins was back in Indianapolis this week.
Reggie Wayne returned to Indy, the place he called home for 14 years.
Working with Gleaners Food Bank, Wayne helped donate more than 50,000 pounds of protein for those in need locally.
Along with his philanthropic reasoning for returning to Indy earlier this week, Wayne also caught up with 1070 The Fan.
Here are some snippets from Wayne’s radio interview on the Grady and Big Joe Show:
On the 2016 Colts:
"It's still early and they are in the AFC South, which is not a strong division so lucky for them. Despite the way they have started off, which is not bad, they just didn't start off good, but they are in the AFC South and still have a chance to capture their first goal, which is to win the division. And they get a chance to play against a Houston Texans' team whose offense is kind of struggling and they are battling injuries in the secondary. This is an opportunity to show the nation who they are."
"This team just has to find ways to finish games. They have the right team to do it. I think Coach Pagano has always preached about finishing games and doing the little things. The five-star players just have to beat the opposing team's five-star players. They just have to out perform them. I think they understand that. It's still early. I really feel like they are in the driver's seat (in the division)."
On the Super Bowl XLI run and the upcoming reunion on November 20th:
"Just family and the relationships you get involved with. Winning a Super Bowl, which is the ultimate goal and there's 32 teams fighting for that and it's only going to be one every year. Without a doubt, that's the big highlight of that year. Just the relationships you had. You are talking about guys on that team, we played together for so many years. Me, Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturdays, the Peyton Manning's, the Dominic Rhodes, the Joseph Addai's. The list goes on and on. You see so many guys these days where they are only at certain places for a small period of time and they go some place else. Well, one thing Bill Polian did was has he kept us together for as long as he possibly could. That way we were able to grow as players and grow as men. And at the same time, it's the relationships that you will always have, no matter if you win the Super Bowl or don't, that's something that you always cherish and keep close to heart.
"We talk all the time. Even though guys are spread around this country. I have a chat group on my phone, it's me, it's Antoine Bethea, it's Robert Mathis, it's Gary Brackett, it's Jerraud Powers, it's Cato June. And in another chat, it's me, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, it's Ryan Diem. We talk all the time. Guys are looking forward to this opportunity (at the reunion). There are going to be some guys that can't make it, like a Cato June, who is now coaching for Howard University, and then you have some guys who are still playing (Bethea and Dwight Freeney). Some guys aren't going to be able to get there, but whenever we get back together, we talk about what we were able to accomplish, but it's always, 'How's the family? How's the kids?' Because a lot of our kids grew up together and played together. It's always exciting to get back together, sit back and reminisce a little bit."
On life in retirement:
"It's been good. I've got four boys running around the house. All different personalities. It's awesome, man. I'm enjoying it. I've done it all from being a soccer dad to going to parent-teacher conferences. That first year of retirement that was interesting. They kept me on my toes."
First time hearing the "Reg-gie" chant:
"Yeah, when Reggie Miller was playing. I was at a Pacers game, watching them play and I just hear the crowd saying, 'Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie,.' I look up and I'm like, 'Man, they love me here.' I guess they weren't talking about me at that time."
