Colts legend Dwight Freeney was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for pass rushing.
Dwight Freeney, the legendary sackmaster of the Colts, looks amazing in the gold jacket. His new bronze bust will be buried in the halls of Canton alongside other NFL greats.
Written by Luke Schultheis 3 August 2024, 11:06 p.m. EDT Six New / Six Comments
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Should you have missed it, on Saturday night, former Indianapolis Colts all-time great Dwight Freeney was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with team owner Jim Irsay serving as his honorary presenter:
You can see Dwight Freeney’s whole Hall of Fame speech here.
Following his second year of being named a finalist in as many years as he was first eligible, Freeney was cemented into football immortality.
About Freeney:
Dwayne Freeney
Biography: Originally selected by the Colts from Syracuse in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft, the “undersized” 6’1,” 268-pound sackmaster was a hybrid of a Tasmanian Devil and a wrecking ball, with a signature spin maneuver that could demoralize even the greatest left tackles in the league. Freeney was tough to block because of his lower center of gravity and distinct playing strength, but he wasn’t only speed off the edge. He also possessed an unexpected bull rush. As a proven game-ender off the edge, he was among the most potent pass rushers of his time. Because he could quickly blow a gameplan, Freeney was a force that opposition offensive coordinators had to be mindful of and take into account at all times.
Super Bowl XLI Champion, NFL Sacks Leader, NFL Forced Fumbles, Co-Leader, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Colts Ring of Honor, and three NFL First-Team and one NFL Second Team All-Pro awards are just a few of the accomplishments.
Indianapolis Colts (2002–12), San Diego Chargers (2013–14), Arizona Cardinals (2015), Atlanta Falcons (2016), Seattle Seahawks (2017), and Detroit Lions (2017) are the teams with which he played professionally.
Career stats: 218 games played (157 starts), 350 tackles (299 solo), 128 tackles for loss, 125.5 sacks, and 47 forced fumbles.
A large number of former Colts players, including Dallas Clark, Mike Doss, Tarik Glenn, Anthony Gonzalez, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Cato June, Peyton Manning, Pat McAfee, Bob Sanders, Jeff Saturday, Brandon Stokley, David Thornton, Adam Vinatieri, and Reggie Wayne, made the special trip to Canton, Ohio, to celebrate their former teammate and friend. Other Hall of Famers Tony Dungy and Bill Polian, who served as Freeney’s former general manager and head coach, respectively, also contributed to his award.
Not to mention Michael Jordan, a personal friend of Freeney’s, was present!
Overall, it was a memorable evening that was richly deserved for Freeney, who is still regarded as one of the best pass rushers in NFL history from the contemporary age! And now for Reggie Wayne.
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