A Basic History of the Indianapolis Colts Football Team

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League. The Colts play in the South Division of the American Football Conference.

The franchise was founded in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts. Following the 1983 season, the team moved to Indianapolis but kept the name Colts.

From 1953-1969, the Baltimore Colts played in the Western Conference of the NFL and in the Coastal Division from 1967-1969. After the AFL-NFL merger, the Colts began playing in the AFC East from 1970-2001. The Indianapolis Colts began playing in the AFC South in 2002 as part of the NFL's division realignment.

The Colts have won eleven Division Championships in their franchise history. The team won the NFL Coastal Division in 1968. The Colts won the AFC East in 1970, 1975-1977, 1987, and 1999, and they won the AFC South each year from 2003-2006.

The Colts have won a total of six Conference Championships, winning the NFL Western Conference four times in 1958, 1959, 1964, and 1968, and the AFC in 1970 and 2006.

The Colts have won a total of five League Championships. They won the NFL Championship three times in 1958, 1959, and 1968, and they won the Super Bowl twice in 1970 and 2006.

During the Colts' time in Baltimore, the team played its home games at Memorial Stadium. In 1984, the team moved into its current stadium in Indianapolis, the RCA Dome. The stadium was also known as the Hoosier Dome from 1984-1993. A new stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, is expected to open for the Colts in 2008.

Nine former players for the Colts are currently enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame. Those nine players are Raymond Berry, Eric Dickerson, Art Donovan, Ted Hendricks, John Mackey, Gino Marchetti, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, and Johnny Unitas. Dickerson is the only one to have played in Indianapolis. The rest all played for the Baltimore Colts.

Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula, former coaches of the Colts, are both also enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame.

The Colts have retired seven jersey numbers. The players whose jersey numbers have been retired are Johnny Unitas - 19, Buddy Young - 22, Lenny Moore - 24, Art Donovan - 70, Jim Parker - 77, Raymond Berry - 82, and Gino Marchetti - 89.

The Indianapolis Colts are currently owned by Jim Irsay. The head coach is Tony Dungy, and the general manager is Bill Polian.

The official colors of the Colts are royal blue and white. The mascot's name is Blue.