(Photo: CBS4Indy)
I truly love this game of football. To be honest, I don’t know where I’d be without it. When I was younger, you couldn’t come into my house and not see a football or footballs all around. Even if you turned on my tv, the last channel I was watching was either ESPN or the NFL Network. I’ve had my share of watching some guys come into the league, build a name for themselves in the game, then retire. I remember when I was writing about DeMarcus Ware and his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I talked about all of the defensive players in the last decade that I grew up watching who are all members of “football heaven” as Cris Carter refers to it. Warren Sapp, Michael Strahan, Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, Troy Polamalu, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to name a few. Who I’m about to discuss now may not have the big name as those I mentioned, but he was perfect for who he played for. Mr. Dwight Freeney and after years of waiting and waiting, he finally got word that he will be enshrined in Canton this upcoming Summer.
During his time in the league, Dwight was one of the best EDGE guys in the NFL. When you watched him, you saw a powerful man who was undersized only standing at 6’1, but always found a way to get home to the Quarterback. When you look at EDGE guys over the years, so many of them tower over people and many of them stand well over six feet. Dwight had some of the best footwork that I saw from a Defensive Lineman which is important because with good, yet consistent footwork, you can last in this sport. He had one of the best first steps off the snap of the football which made him such a menace for Offensive Tackles to deal with. Dwight was so quick and electric which helped him win many of his battles in the trenches. It didn’t matter if who he was lined up against was bigger than him. Anytime I saw those Colts defenses, I always saw a man play with a ton of energy, passion and most importantly, heart. As a pass rusher, you must have a go to move. Dwight’s top move was a dip underneath where he would just get low and breeze by who was blocking him or, he would use his spin move which became his go to throughout his career. He was so disruptive and didn’t just depend on sacking the Quarterback to have an impact as he could force fumbles, get in the face of the passer and do all he could to impact the pocket and make the Quarterback hesitate when attempting to throw the football. Dwight also played the run really well and used that speed to burst through lanes to make tackles. He always played with energy which became infectious amongst those Colts defenses.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Dwight in 2002 with the 11th overall pick in the first round. In his rookie season, he set a rookie record with nine forced fumbles in a season. In 2004, he led the league in sacks with 16. Dwight was a key piece to the 2006 title team for the Colts. When I was playing, I often studied him and watched how he would add different moves to his arsenal to be successful. He was very instrumental in my football life as a player and I couldn’t be happier for him to see him receive this high honor for a football player. He finished his career with 125.5 sacks. Key guys from those Colts teams in the 2000’s are all enshrined in Canton. Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Tony Dungy is who I’m referring too. Congratulations to Dwight. He definitely deserves this.
