Former Colts general manager Bill Polian says one of his most lasting memories from Super Bowl XLI had nothing to do with the game itself. It came during a Saturday walk-through, when families were allowed to join the team before the Colts went on to win the title.
Polian said the idea had already been used years earlier in Buffalo, when he and Coach Levy debated whether families should be invited to that final practice before the Super Bowl. When Indianapolis reached the same stage, Polian and Tony Dungy had handled nearly every detail of preparation - except that one.
“When I was in Buffalo, and we went to the four straight Super Bowls, Coach Levy and I talked about whether or not we ought to let families come to the Saturday practice, which is a walk-through,” Polian said. “So we did.
So now when we’re going to go in Indianapolis for the first time, Tony (Dungy) and I had covered everything to do with the preparation, but that was the one thing we hadn’t covered. And I said, ‘What do you think about this?’
He said, ‘I don’t know.’ So I bounced it off Peyton (Manning).
He said, ‘I’m not a fan of it.’ I said, ‘Well, you know, look at it this way.
If it was your child, how would you see it?’ And both guys said, ‘Yeah, well, that has some merit.’
So, we did it. And every unit, defensive line, linebackers, corners, et cetera, takes a picture.
It was just organic. Takes a picture with their position coaches and their group.
The families posing with their Super Bowl players and it would bring tears to your eyes, and it’s a memory I’ll never forget.”
Polian served as the Colts’ general manager from 1998 to 2009, then stayed on as team president from 2009 to 2011. During his time in Indianapolis, the Colts went 131-61 and won the division eight times.
The 2027 Super Bowl, Super Bowl LXI, will air on WRTV on February 14.
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