2011 Colts Media Guide - Nfl

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BILL POLIAN
Vice Chairman
In his 14th season in Indianapolis, Bill Polian serves as Vice Chairman of the
Colts. Polian joined the club in 1998, and he has guided the franchise through
a remarkable period of success. Polian oversees all football and administrative
aspects of the Colts. His football blueprint has established a period of achievement
that ranks among the best accomplished in the NFL's 91 seasons.
Since Polian's arrival, no team has had more playoff appearances than the
Colts. The Colts are the only team to make the playoffs 11 times in the last 12
seasons, reaching the divisional, conference or league title round in six of the
past eight years and to the Super Bowl twice since 2006. In 2010, the club tied
the NFL record with a ninth consecutive playoff appearance and the Colts are the
only team with 10+ victories and playoff berths annually since the 2002
Realignment. Since 1999, the club has a 138-54 (.719) mark, the NFL's winningest
regular-season team by four games over its nearest competitor.
The Colts have won eight division titles (1999, 2003-07, 09-10) during Polian's tenure. The Colts (four times)
join New England (three) and Chicago and San Francisco (twice) as the only franchises with 50+ regular-season
victories in a four-year span. From 2000-09, the Colts (115-45) set the NFL mark for most wins in a decade. The
club's nine playoff berths tied the NFL record of Dallas in the 1970s. The club also earned 23 consecutive regular-season
victories during 2008-09, the NFL record.
The 2010 Colts battled through injuries to post a ninth straight season with 10+ victories, the NFL's secondlongest
streak. From 2003-09, Indianapolis set NFL marks with seven consecutive seasons with 11+ (6, Dallas,
1976-81) and 12+ victories (4, Dallas, 1992-95). From 2004-09, Indianapolis was the only team to win seven
or more consecutive regular-season games in six straight seasons, closing that span by becoming just the third team
to open a season with 14 victories and winning the AFC Championship, 30-17 over the New York Jets.
In 2006, the Colts captured a fourth World Championship with a 29-17 victory over Chicago in Super Bowl
XLI. It was the club's first title appearance in 36 years. That same character, resilience and commitment propelled
the club to Super Bowl XLIV against New Orleans, capping one of the NFL's top decades of accomplishment by
any franchise.
In 2002, Polian oversaw the hiring of Tony Dungy. Together they forged seven consecutive playoff teams, and
Dungy became the winningest Colts head coach. Polian led the hiring of Jim Caldwell in 2009. Caldwell became
the first NFL coach to win his first 14 games and the fifth rookie head coach to reach the Super Bowl. Caldwell
is one of four head coaches ever to produce 24+ regular-season victories and a Super Bowl berth in a careeropening
two-year span.
Polian and pro football success are synonymous. In 23 seasons as a general manager or president with
Indianapolis, Carolina and Buffalo, his teams have made 17 playoff, eight championship game and five Super
Bowl appearances, while winning a World Championship. Polian's Buffalo teams made the Super Bowl three
times and returned again the year after his departure. He built Carolina into the winningest expansion franchise
in sports history, reaching the NFC Championship game in year two. He helped build Grey Cup title teams with
two CFL franchises (Montreal and Winnipeg).
Polian's teams have earned a combined regular-season record of 238-145. Discounting the start-up seasons
of 1985-86 at Buffalo, 1995 at Carolina and 1998 in Indianapolis, his mark is 222-97, a .696 winning percentage.
Polian has been part of 13 11+-victory seasons and has won a division crown at every stop. From
2003-09, his teams had 81 victories in 100 regular-season games, tying the highest 100-game NFL victory total.
Polian's record is unique among NFL administrators. In a 2009 vote of his peers, Polian became the first sixtime
winner of the Executive of the Year award from The Sporting News. Polian eclipsed a tie with the late George
Young. Polian, Young and the late Jim Finks are the only multiple recipients of the award.
A keen judge of talent, Polian's expertise has transformed the Colts. His draft classes have yielded QB-Peyton
Manning, RBs-Edgerrin James and Joseph Addai, WRs-Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon and
Austin Collie, DEs-Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, DBs-Bob Sanders, Antoine Bethea, Marlin Jackson and
Jerraud Powers, OT-Ryan Diem, OGs-Jake Scott, Mike Pollak, Jamey Richard and TE-Dallas Clark, among others.
Polian found key free agents in C-Jeff Saturday, K-Mike Vanderjagt, RB-Dominic Rhodes, LB-Gary Brackett and DBs-
Melvin Bullitt and Jacob Lacey. Manning, James, Addai, Clark, WR-Marvin Harrison, Wayne, Freeney, Mathis,
Vanderjagt, OT-Tarik Glenn, Saturday, LB-Cato June, Bethea and Sanders reached the Pro Bowl during Polian's
tenure.
Polian was a pro scout for Kansas City in 1978. He worked five years there before moving to Winnipeg as
personnel director. He helped build a team that won two CFL titles. He served as personnel director with Chicago
of the USFL in 1984. Polian joined Buffalo in 1984 as pro personnel director and was promoted to general manager
on December 30, 1985. Polian presented former Buffalo Head Coach Marv Levy at his Pro Football Hall of
Fame induction in 2001.
Polian served as Vice President of Football Development for the NFL in 1993. He helped formulate and implement
the NFL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Long active in NFL affairs, Polian serves as a member
of the Competition Committee, Diversity Committee, Management Council Senior Executive Committee and is
Chairman of the College Relations Committee.
Polian and his wife, Eileen, are parents of four children, Lynn, Chris, Brian and Dennis. They have six grandchildren.
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