Some may not recall Marshall Faulk’s five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before his NFL career really took off with the St. Louis Rams.
While Faulk began his career with the Colts, there are several more great that thrived with other teams then spent the latter portion of their careers with the Colts that you may have forgotten, including two Super Bowl MVPs.
Here’s a list of five guys you may not recall sporting the iconic horseshoe on their helmets.
Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk began his Hall of Fame career with five strong seasons with the Colts before exploding with the St. Louis Rams
Marshall Faulk began his Hall of Fame career with the Colts, but he did the majority of his damage against rival defenses with the St. Louis Rams.
The Colts selected Faulk second overall in the 1994 NFL Draft, and the San Diego State product won Offensive Rookie of the Year after rushing for 1,282 yards and 11 touchdowns in his debut season. Faulk carried for 1,000 yards or more in four of his five seasons with the Colts, earning three Pro Bowl appearances.
Prior to the 1999 season, the Colts traded Faulk to the St. Louis Rams. In his debut season with his new team, he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,429), rushed for 1,381 yards, and had a career-high 1,048 receiving yards.
In 1999, Faulk was voted Offensive Player of the Year for the first time in three years, and he finished second in MVP voting to teammate Kurt Warner. He subsequently had 257 total yards and two touchdowns in three postseason games to help the Rams win the Super Bowl.
The following season, Faulk won MVP after leading the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns. He also recorded eight receiving touchdowns.
Faulk ultimately spent eight years with the Rams. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler in his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Richard Dent
Richard Dent recorded 6.5 sacks during his one season with Indianapolis
Richard Dent, the Chicago Bears’ eighth-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, turned out to be the draft’s best value.
Dent, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive lineman from Tennessee State University, spent little time proving he belonged among the NFL’s big boys. Dent started only three games as a rookie in 1983 and finished with three sacks, but the next season he started ten games and racked up 17.5 sacks, leading the league with four forced fumbles. He appeared in his first of four Pro Bowls that season and was awarded a Second-Team All-Pro.
In 1985, he was part of one of the best defensive teams in NFL history, with another 17.0 sacks. Dent and the Bears’ defense set numerous records that season, leading Chicago to a 15-1 regular-season record and a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 20. Dent was voted the game’s MVP after forcing two fumbles and registering 1.5 sacks.
Dent recorded 124.5 sacks over the course of his 12 seasons with the Bears. He played with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, where he won another Super Bowl despite only playing two regular-season games due to injury. He returned to the Bears for one season in 1995.
Dent agreed to terms with the Colts back in 1996. He played in all 16 games, but only started one, and finished the season with 6.5 sacks. He concluded his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997, where he played for one year.
Dent was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Joe Klecko
Defensive end Joe Klecko ended his HOF career by playing one year with the Colts
Joe Klecko with the #Colts pic.twitter.com/NWDZK8NKsL
— Old Time Football đ (@Ol_TimeFootball) June 23, 2021
Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau, Mary Lyons, and Abdul Salaam formed one of the strongest defensive lines in football for the New York Jets in the 1980s. Known as the “New York Sack Exchange,” the four terrified opposing quarterbacks throughout the 1981 season, totaling 66 sacks.
Klecko led the NFL in sacks with 20.5 in 1981 and was second in the Defensive Player of the Year vote. He was selected to his first of four Pro Bowls and was awarded a First-Team All-Pro.
The Temple alum made 78 sacks over his 11 seasons with the Jets. In 1985, he received his second First-Team All-Pro selection.
Klecko was troubled by knee issues in the latter years of his career. He appeared in only seven games in 1987, and the Jets waived him at the end of the season. In 1988, he signed with the Colts.
He started 14 games for the Colts and recovered one fumble, but did not record a sack. Klecko was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson joined the rival Colts after his 12 years with the Houston Texans
Andre Johnson proved to be one of the best wide receivers of his period during his 12 seasons with the Houston Texans, who selected him third overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. Johnson made the Pro Bowl seven times out of twelve seasons. Twice, he led the NFL in receiving yards.
Johnson led the league in receiving yards with 1,575 in 2008 and 1,569 in 2009, earning First-Team All-Pro accolades both years. In 2012, he set a career best of 1,598, but it did not lead the NFL.
Johnson was released by the Texans in March 2015 and signed with the rival Colts two days later. Johnson played in 16 games, starting 14, but had a modest season, catching 41 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns.
Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Colts, although he only played one season before being released in March 2016. He joined another division foe, the Tennessee Titans, in 2016. In eight games with the Titans, he recorded nine catches for 85 yards and two scores.
Johnson announced his NFL retirement in October 2016. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien ended his 14-year NFL career by completing five passes with the Colts
Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien – Colts https://t.co/bA3LPsBl10 pic.twitter.com/bYb02AaO8h
— ColtsFanCole (@ColtsFanCole) May 20, 2024
Mark Rypien spent 14 seasons in the NFL, most notably with the Washington Commanders, where he led the club to victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 26 and was named MVP.
Rypien spent six years with Washington, including two Pro Bowl seasons and a 45-27 regular-season record, before moving on to play for three different teams over the next four years.
He joined the Cleveland Browns in 1994 to serve as Vinny Testaverde’s backup. He started three games and finished 2-1.
After six games with the Browns, he joined the Rams in 1995 and made three starts, going 0-3. Rypien returned to the Rams in 1997 after throwing 13 passes for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 1996 season. He appeared in five games, all in relief. Rypien announced his retirement following the season.
Rypien returned to the game after three years away, joining the Colts in 2001 to back up Peyton Manning. Rypien had little opportunity to see the field while Manning ran the show. In four games with the Colts, he completed five of nine passes for 57 yards.
Rypien appeared in two preseason games with the Seattle Seahawks in 2002, but was released before the regular season began, and he never played again in the NFL.
