The History of the Baltimore Colts

The Baltimore Colts is a storied football franchise that traces its roots back to 1947. But football fans who were born after 1984 never saw the Baltimore Colts play.

History

The initial edition of the Baltimore Colts was founded in 1947 in the All-American Football Conference, a rival to the National Football League. The team name "Colts" was in honor of the city's passion for horse racing. In 1950, the Colts joined the NFL, but folded due to financial losses. Three years later, the Colts again entered the NFL, taking over the Dallas Texans team.

1950s

The Baltimore Colts played their home games in Memorial Stadium. In 1953, the new franchise won its first game against the Chicago Bears, 13-9. Despite its first-game success, the team struggled in its early years, until it signed a quarterback named Johnny Unitas in 1956.

With Unitas at the helm, the team won its first NFL championship in 1958 with a 23-17 victory over the New York Giants in the first overtime game in league history. Many today still consider this game one of the greatest in league history. A year later, the Colts won their second championship, again defeating the Giants.

1960s

In 1963, former player Don Shula replaced Weeb Ewbank as coach. The Colts remained one of the top teams in the league during the during the middle and late '60s. In 1968, the Colts again played in one of the most historic games ever--Super Bowl III. The Colts were heavily favored to beat the New York Jets, though the Jets' young quarterback, Joe Namath, thought differently. In fact, he guaranteed victory against the Colts, and was true to his word. The Jets defeated the Colts, 16-7, in what is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.

1970s

In 1970, the Colts were shifted to the American Football Conference, as the American Football League and National Football League merged. That same year, the Colts made it to their second Super Bowl, this time against the Dallas Cowboys. The Colts won Super Bowl V, 16-13, on a field goal by Jim O'Brien with just five seconds remaining.

The Colts had success in the late 1970s, winning four straight AFC East titles. But they never made it to another Super Bowl, and by the end of the decade, they were losing more games than they were winning.

1980s

In the early 1980s, attendance at games had dipped tremendously, and in 1981, the team bottomed out with a 2-14 record. In 1983, the Colts selected quarterback John Elway with the first overall draft pick, but Elway refused to play for Baltimore.

In 1984, after making public announcements denying he was relocating the team, owner Robert Irsay moved the team to Indianapolis in the middle of the night. The city of Baltimore would be without a football team until 1996, when the NFL awarded the city the Ravens franchise.

Hall of Famers

Baltimore Colts players and coaches elected to the football Hall of Fame are:
Raymond Berry, wide receiver
Art Donovan, offensive tackle
Weeb Ewbank, coach
Ted Hendricks, linebacker
John Mackey, tight end
Gino Marchetti, defensive end
Lenny Moore, running back
Jim Parker, offensive tackle
Joe Perry, fullback
Don Shula, coach
Johnny Unitas, quarterback

References

• History of Baltimore Colts