Indianapolis Colts: Thank you Peyton, welcome home!

The Indianapolis Colts have announced they will retire the No. 18 and erect a statue in honor of Peyton Manning, which is more than deserved

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said it as well as it could be said via colts.com with his statement: “Peyton will always be a Colt.”

Well said. Yes indeed, Peyton Manning will always be an Indianapolis Colt. He will forever be a part of Colts’ fans and a part of Indianapolis as well. He is a legend on the field, a master in commercials, and as good of a guy as you will ever find. On behalf of Colts Nation: Thank you, Peyton, for all the years of wonderful memories. You will forever be embedded into our hearts. We know you love Omaha, but Indy will always be yours.

Personally, growing up a fan of the Cleveland Browns, I must admit a slight disgust with being forced to root for Peyton during the Bonco’s years. No, that wasn’t a typo. It wasn’t a field goal either (I am referring to a time many years ago, when the Brownies had a shot at it all, by the way).

It was hard to see Peyton Manning in a color other than blue. And I know, most certainly, I am not alone. I sucked up my pride and enjoyed watching him do well with that other team. I can say that I am glad he did well. Colts Nation would agree that it should have been in a blue uniform. Personally, I am grateful that I can go back to disliking that team out West.

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You may wonder why I am writing this on behalf of Colts Nation if I am a Browns fan. It is quite simple really, my wife made me do it. My wife is from a small town on the outskirts of Indianapolis and when she stole my heart, she filled it with a love for her team, the Indianapolis Colts.

What I am getting at, is despite a period of time elsewhere, Peyton Manning is returning home, forever. A statue will be erected in his honor, and it will remain in place in Indy forever. No. 18 will be set aside and will remain his, forever.

I cannot think of any other player that meant so much to his fans, that they would root for him, even while playing for another team. Peyton is so beloved, that his fanbase transcended team loyalty and even broke down barriers of team hatred, in my case. Peyton Manning is perhaps, the most beloved player of an entire generation and I am glad to see him get the recognition he deserves.

As a Colt: 54,828 yards, 399 touchdowns, 11 Pro Bowls, 1 Superbowl, and is the first player to have his number retired as an Indianapolis Colt. There were stats from somewhere else, and numbers were retired somewhere else. But for Indianapolis, this is something truly special for a man who is also truly special.

The statue in his honor will be revealed on Oct. 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET, on a weekend that his fans from his Tennessee Volunteers days will be able to attend, as the Vols enjoy their bye week. One day following, he will be inducted as the 14th member of the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor and the No. 18 will be retired, never again be worn on a Colts jersey.

Next: 2017 NFL Season: All-Under-25 first team

We look forward to the next chapter in his life, the next pizza we order, and the next commercial we laugh at. Most importantly, we look forward to his return home. As the jingle goes in the commercials, this one is for you:

Thank you Pey-ton, wel-come home!