Gold Jacket Spotlight: Edgerrin James rose to every challenge
Gold Jacket Spotlight
Published on : 3/3/2025
Prior to the 1999 NFL Draft, Indianapolis Colts General Manager BILL POLIAN faced the challenge of replacing future Hall of Fame running back MARSHALL FAULK, whom the team had traded to the St. Louis Rams.
Owning the fourth selection in the opening round of the draft, Polian watched the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals each select quarterbacks prior to the Colts being “on the clock.”
The player Polian selected with that pick, of which the Colts’ public relations director informed the general manager was “an exceedingly unpopular pick,” steps into the Gold Jacket Spotlight this week.
After the three teams ahead of Indianapolis made their selections, what seemed obvious to “draft experts” and Colts fans was that Polian would select Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. Polian defied those expectations, selecting EDGERRIN JAMES from the University of Miami.
Polian recalled his public relations team’s response during an episode of the NFL Network’s “A Football Life,” and added, “The local columnists got on me pretty good.”
Edgerrin recalled, “Out of nowhere, I get this phone call, everything takes off from there.”
In response to a media inquiry of Polian feeling any need to justify the pick to fans, he said, “I don’t know how you can justify it other than what happens on the field. Talk is cheap. What happens in the fall is what counts.”
Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING'S observation after practicing with the surprise draft selection was, “What jumped out to me what his confidence. He didn’t say a lot. The way he carried himself, the way he went about his business, in the weight room, on the field. You saw early, this guy was a little bit different.
In the fall, “Edge” made it count and, indeed, proved he was a little bit different and a very special player.
Polian’s decision paid dividends immediately as Edgerrin earned the NFL rushing title with 1,553 yards during his rookie season along with recognition as the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. The next season (2000) he successfully defended his NFL rushing title with 1,709 yards.
After sustaining a season-ending injury in the sixth game of his third season, Edgerrin returned to his hometown, Immokalee, Fla., to rehabilitate. Upon his return to the Colts for the 2002 season, he joined new head coach TONY DUNGY.
As the Colts were earning playoff appearances, Edgerrin was accruing impressive rushing statistics, including back-to-back seasons (2004-05) with more than 1,500 rushing yards.
“He wanted to be more than just a running back,” Manning told NFL Network. “He took pride in his pass protections. I’ll say this over and over again: He was the best teammate I ever had. At the end of the day, I’m not sure you can pay someone a bigger compliment.”
“In 2004-05, he did everything,” Dungy said. “That’s what was special to me about him. Yes, 1,500 yards. Yes, all these catches, all these touchdowns. But that attitude of ‘whatever it takes for us to win, I am going to do it.’”
The perception of Edge’s significance to the team wasn’t limited to Dungy’s analysis. After Edgerrin joined the Arizona Cardinals for the 2006 season and the Colts won the Super Bowl XLI the same season, Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay did, as Edge often did, something a little different. The organization awarded their former player a Super Bowl ring.
“He’s the only player that’s ever received a Super Bowl ring that wasn’t on the roster,” Irsay acknowledged. “And that’s because he meant so much to us.”
Two seasons later, Edgerrin and the Cardinals earned the organization’s first appearance in a Super Bowl.
Pick justified.
Owning the fourth selection in the opening round of the draft, Polian watched the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals each select quarterbacks prior to the Colts being “on the clock.”
The player Polian selected with that pick, of which the Colts’ public relations director informed the general manager was “an exceedingly unpopular pick,” steps into the Gold Jacket Spotlight this week.
After the three teams ahead of Indianapolis made their selections, what seemed obvious to “draft experts” and Colts fans was that Polian would select Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. Polian defied those expectations, selecting EDGERRIN JAMES from the University of Miami.
Polian recalled his public relations team’s response during an episode of the NFL Network’s “A Football Life,” and added, “The local columnists got on me pretty good.”
Edgerrin recalled, “Out of nowhere, I get this phone call, everything takes off from there.”
In response to a media inquiry of Polian feeling any need to justify the pick to fans, he said, “I don’t know how you can justify it other than what happens on the field. Talk is cheap. What happens in the fall is what counts.”
Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING'S observation after practicing with the surprise draft selection was, “What jumped out to me what his confidence. He didn’t say a lot. The way he carried himself, the way he went about his business, in the weight room, on the field. You saw early, this guy was a little bit different.
In the fall, “Edge” made it count and, indeed, proved he was a little bit different and a very special player.
Polian’s decision paid dividends immediately as Edgerrin earned the NFL rushing title with 1,553 yards during his rookie season along with recognition as the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. The next season (2000) he successfully defended his NFL rushing title with 1,709 yards.
After sustaining a season-ending injury in the sixth game of his third season, Edgerrin returned to his hometown, Immokalee, Fla., to rehabilitate. Upon his return to the Colts for the 2002 season, he joined new head coach TONY DUNGY.
As the Colts were earning playoff appearances, Edgerrin was accruing impressive rushing statistics, including back-to-back seasons (2004-05) with more than 1,500 rushing yards.
“He wanted to be more than just a running back,” Manning told NFL Network. “He took pride in his pass protections. I’ll say this over and over again: He was the best teammate I ever had. At the end of the day, I’m not sure you can pay someone a bigger compliment.”
“In 2004-05, he did everything,” Dungy said. “That’s what was special to me about him. Yes, 1,500 yards. Yes, all these catches, all these touchdowns. But that attitude of ‘whatever it takes for us to win, I am going to do it.’”
The perception of Edge’s significance to the team wasn’t limited to Dungy’s analysis. After Edgerrin joined the Arizona Cardinals for the 2006 season and the Colts won the Super Bowl XLI the same season, Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay did, as Edge often did, something a little different. The organization awarded their former player a Super Bowl ring.
“He’s the only player that’s ever received a Super Bowl ring that wasn’t on the roster,” Irsay acknowledged. “And that’s because he meant so much to us.”
Two seasons later, Edgerrin and the Cardinals earned the organization’s first appearance in a Super Bowl.
Pick justified.
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