The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 season, the Colts have played their games in Lucas Oil Stadium. Previously, the team had played for over two decades (1984–2007) at the RCA Dome. Since 1987, the Colts have served as the host team for the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a northern suburb of Miami. The team is owned by Stephen M. Ross. The Dolphins are the oldest professional sports team in Florida. Of the four AFC East teams, the Dolphins are the only team in the division that was not a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Dolphins were also one of the first professional football teams in the southeast, along with the Atlanta Falcons.
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third-most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the NFL's all-time leading scorer at 2,673 points, in addition to holding the NFL records for field goals made (599), postseason points (238), and overtime field goals made (12). He is considered one of the greatest placekickers of all time.
William Stephen Belichick is an American sports analyst and American football coach. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, including the record of most Super Bowl wins (six) as a head coach, all with the New England Patriots, along with two more during his time as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, for a record eight combined total Super Bowl victories as coach and coordinator. A renowned American football historian, Belichick is often referred to as a "student of the game" with a deep knowledge of the intricacies of each player position. During his tenure with the Patriots, Belichick was a central figure as the head coach and de facto general manager during the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019.
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State University, where he won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and was selected by the Patriots first overall in the 1993 NFL draft. Considered the face of the Patriots franchise during his nine seasons with the team, Bledsoe helped improve New England's fortunes from 1993 to 2001. Under Bledsoe, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, clinched their division twice, and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl game in 1995.
Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1986.
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), playing much of it with quarterback Peyton Manning. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft.
Reginald Wayne is an American former professional football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft with the 30th overall pick. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Wayne was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI winning team over the Chicago Bears. He ranks second in Colts' franchise history to Marvin Harrison in major receiving categories: receptions, receiving yards, targets, and receiving touchdowns. On December 14, 2014, Wayne played in both his 209th game and his 142nd win as a member of the Colts, breaking the franchise records set by Peyton Manning.
MeShaunda "Shaun" Pizarrur Ellis, nicknamed "Big Katt", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end who spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Ellis was selected by the Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft with the 12th overall pick. He also played for the New England Patriots. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. The game is played on the last Sunday in January by the two remaining playoff teams, following the AFC postseason's first two rounds. The AFC champion then advances to face the winner of the NFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl.
John William Harbaugh is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and served as the Eagles special teams coach for nine years. Harbaugh and his younger brother, former San Francisco 49ers and current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, are the first pair of brothers in NFL history to serve as head coaches. Jack Harbaugh, Jim and John's father, served 45 years as a college defensive coach, an assistant coach, and a running backs coach. John and the Ravens beat Jim and the 49ers at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, by a score of 34–31.
Roland Orlando James is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11 year career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and early 1990s. James played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning All-American honors. He was selected in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft.
The 1985 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL) and 26th overall. The Patriots had a record of eleven wins and five losses and finished third in the AFC East Division. They then became the first team in NFL history ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road, defeating the New York Jets 26–14 in the AFC Wild Card Game, the Los Angeles Raiders 27–20 in the AFC Divisional Game and the Miami Dolphins 31–14 in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots' win in Miami was their first victory at the Miami Orange Bowl since 1966. The win over the Dolphins in the game has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, as the Dolphins were heavily favored.
Brian Michael Daboll is a Canadian-American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Buffalo Bills. Daboll has also served in various capacities as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2013 to 2016.
Matthew Wilson Slater is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is working as a special assistant to the head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for 16 seasons with the Patriots. A special teams player for most of his career, he is considered one of the greatest gunners of all time.
Qualin Dont'a Hightower is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Patriots. Hightower played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Patriots, he was named to two Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowl titles.
Devin McCourty is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. Missing only five games during his Patriots career, McCourty received two Pro Bowl selections and was also a member of three Super Bowl-winning teams. McCourty also has the most postseason starts for a defensive player. His twin brother, Jason McCourty, also played in the NFL. Since leaving the NFL in 2022, he has served as a commentator for NBC's Football Night in America.
Thomas Townsend is an American professional football punter for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators, and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
