BCBaltimore Colts

Franchise history

This entry covers only the original Baltimore Colts franchise that played from 1953 through 1983, before its relocation to Indianapolis. The Colts entered the NFL in 1953 when a Baltimore ownership group, later headed by Carroll Rosenbloom, acquired the assets of the defunct Dallas Texans franchise (itself a continuation of the New York Yanks lineage) and set up shop in Baltimore, retaining blue and white as team colors. The club played its entire tenure at Memorial Stadium, affectionately nicknamed "The World's Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum" by fans for its raucous atmosphere.

The Colts' golden era arrived with quarterback Johnny Unitas, who joined as a free agent in 1956 after being cut by Pittsburgh and working construction jobs. Under Unitas and coach Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore won consecutive NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. The 1958 title game, a 23-17 sudden-death overtime win over the New York Giants decided by Alan Ameche's plunge, is widely remembered as "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and is credited with catalyzing the NFL's rise in national popularity.

After the 1970 AFL-NFL merger placed the Colts in the AFC East, the franchise won Super Bowl V over Dallas, 16-13, on a last-second Jim O'Brien field goal — a redemption of sorts after the stunning Super Bowl III upset loss to Joe Namath's New York Jets. Robert Irsay bought the team in 1972, and the Colts endured nine straight losing seasons beginning in 1978. Amid stadium disputes with the city, Irsay infamously relocated the franchise to Indianapolis overnight on March 29, 1984, using a fleet of Mayflower moving vans.

Sources

• Pro Football Reference
• Wikipedia
• Indianapolis Colts Official Site

Super Bowl Champions won (1)

• Super Bowl V - 1970

Runner-up finishes (1)

• Super Bowl III - 1968

See the full super bowl champions list for the winner each of these years.