As Tarik Glenn reflected on the career that earned him a spot in the Colts' Ring of Honor, he kept coming back to one thing.
"When you think about having a career as a professional athlete, the majority of the time you play for multiple teams, there's all kinds of different ups and downs, highs and lows," Glenn said in an interview with Matt Taylor and Jeffrey Gorman on the Colts Audio Network. "But I was able and fortunate enough to play with just one team, and then I get an opportunity to go back to the franchise that gave me an opportunity. And not only are they honoring me, I get a chance to say thank you for that opportunity. When I think about where I came from, you can be talented, but if you don't get put in the right situation and people don't believe in you, it's hard to live up to your potential.
"And then on top of that, the city itself, one of the things about Indianapolis playing for the Colts is that it was an all-in franchise. Most of the franchise that you go to, guys live there half the time, the other half the time they're in California, Florida or back home somewhere, whereas the majority of our guys stayed in Indiana year-round."
You can listen to the full interview with Glenn by clicking play at the top of this article, or on Apple Podcasts, _Spotify or wherever you get the Colts Audio Network.
Glenn in the podcast also discussed what he misses about his playing career, how he and Marvin Harrison built a standard for the franchise in the late 1990's, his memories of Peyton Manning and what he's doing with his Dream Alive foundation. But he also expressed an appreciation for getting to spend a decade in Indianapolis, and what the city and Colts franchise did for him personally and professionally.
"I raised my family in the city of Indianapolis, got involved in the community — all of that attributes to the success that I had on the football field," Glenn said. "I really felt a sense of pride, and when I put on the Horseshoe, you're not just representing your franchise, your team, your family name — you're representing the city. And so my fondest memory is winning the Super Bowl and going in the parade and seeing it shut down the whole city and seeing, as a Colt, you're representing way more than just yourself or your team, you represent a whole community.
"And so to be able to go back and not only be honored but to be able to say thank you to the city, to Jim Irsay and his family and to all my teammates who were a part of my individual success, I'm grateful for that.:"
