Syracuse football continues to reign supreme with Indianapolis Colts

The Syracuse football alum continue to make the Indianapolis Colts a second home. Here’s why that isn’t changing any time soon.

Perhaps it is something in the water? Or maybe the Indianapolis Colts are just smarter than everyone else, I’ll lean towards the latter.

There’s a ton of Syracuse football alum in the NFL, but there’s been a special channel between the Colts and the dome dudes.

John Mackey
- While technically it was the ‘Baltimore’ Colts, it still counts. He spent nine of his 10 seasons in the pros with the Colts creating a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. The greatest tight end in college and Pro football history is a legend in the sport. The annual award given out to the most outstanding tight end in college football is named a ‘Mackey Award Winner’, coincidence? I think not.
Marvin Harrison
- Another legend of the sport decided to spend his entire 13 year career with the blue and white. Harrison literally checked everything you could want off the bucket list: a Super Bowl championship, a bust in Canton, and the last thing he’s waiting for is getting into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Dwight Freeney
- After being drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Syracuse football legend Dwight Freeney spent 11 years with the Colts. With his NFL retirement now official, it’s only a matter of time before he gets fitted for his bust in Canton, Ohio.

Arthur Jones
- Now we step into a different era of Syracuse football. While Jones never got the same recognition as some of the other players on this list, he deserves a tremendous amount of credit. He did win a Super Bowl championship, but it was with the Baltimore Ravens.
Delone Carter
- This former Orange stud at running back had the shortest career in the pros among players that have finished their careers. After getting over 100 attempts with the Colts in his rookie season, it seemed like he was headed for a bigger role, but it never materialized.
Zaire Franklin
- Now we get to the current batch of Syracuse players in the pros. Zaire Franklin was the first Syracuse player drafted since Riley Dixon. Franklin has the potential to be in the NFL for the next 10-15 years. Not only is he a talented football player, but this is a guy who is intelligent and gives back to his community. I want 53 Franklins on my team if that was possible.
Steve Ishmael
- Shortly after the 2018 NFL Draft, Ishmael decided to join his buddy with the Indianapolis Colts. When Steve was back in college we talked about whether he could be the next Marvin Harrison in the pros. The connection is obvious, Ishmael in his last season with the Orange topped a career mark that had stood for over 20 years: the all-time receiving yardage mark that he took from Marvin Harrison.

Next. Syracuse Football: Ranking every SU first round pick in NFL Draft history. dark

Shamarko Thomas
- Finally the latest Orange addition to Indianapolis is Shamarko Thomas. Things haven’t always gone the way Shamarko has wanted in the pros, but he has found a way to stay alive. Getting drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking like the heir apparent to Troy Polamalu. To his one-year stint with the Buffalo Bills as a key special teams ace. To a new opportunity with the Colts this season.