Jeff Saturday
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Bryant Saturday (born June 18, 1975) is an American football
center
for the Indianapolis Colts
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at North Carolina
. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Football League Players' Association
.
at the University of North Carolina
, where he started 37 games at center and earned multiple conference awards.
in the 1998 NFL Draft
, but the Baltimore Ravens
signed him as a free agent
on April 27, 1998, only to waive him on June 12, 1998. The Colts signed him as a free agent on January 7, 1999 and has remained with the Colts ever since.
season, Saturday backed up starting guard
Steve McKinney
, and earned his first NFL start at left guard on November 21, 1999, against the Philadelphia Eagles
. After only two regular season starts in 1999, Saturday started all 16 regular season games of the 2000 season
at center for the Colts. Over the following seasons, Saturday remained the team's starting center, appearing in 85 consecutive games before sitting out two games with an injury in December 2004. He remains a fixture on the Colts' offensive line, which has given up the fewest quarterback sack
s among all NFL teams in the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
He was selected to his second NFL Pro Bowl
in 2006, and started for the AFC
squad. In his first eight NFL seasons with the Colts, Saturday appeared in 121 regular season games, starting 112 of them. He also appeared in 13 playoff games, starting 12 of them. He passed the ball once during a game in 2004, but his attempt fell incomplete. His career passer rating
stands at 39.6.
On February 26, 2009, Saturday signed a three-year $13 million dollar contract with the Colts including a $7.45 million dollar signing bonus.
Tony Dungy
, the team could not get to the Super Bowl, losing in the AFC Playoffs from 2002 to 2005. The 2006 Colts went 12-4 in the regular season but expectations were low in the playoffs as the team only earned a three-seed in the AFC. Nonetheless, on January 21, 2007, Saturday helped the Colts win the AFC Championship game
against the New England Patriots
when he recovered a teammate's fumble in the end zone
and scored a touchdown. In that same game, the Patriots' left guard Logan Mankins
also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, making that game the first in NFL playoff history to have two offensive linemen score touchdowns in the same game. It was also the first playoff game in which an offensive lineman and defensive lineman (Dan Klecko
) from the same team scored a touchdown. Saturday also provided the key block on the game-winning touchdown run by Joseph Addai
, pancaking Vince Wilfork
, with quarterback Peyton Manning
naming Saturday's play "The Block." Two weeks later, he helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI
against the Chicago Bears
.
teams in 2005
, 2006
, 2007
, 2009
and 2010
(These Pro Bowls were played in the following calendar year). For the 2005 and 2007 seasons he was named to the Associated Press
NFL All-Pro First Team. Jeff Saturday has also been named the 59th greatest player in the NFL Top 100 players of 2011.
Saturday also received the "Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award" from ESPN
columnist Gregg Easterbrook
in January 2007.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Football League Players' Association
National Football League Players' Association
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the labor organization for the professional football players in the National Football League . It has been at times a professional association, as well as a labor union...
.
Early years
Saturday attended Shamrock High School in Atlanta. He played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where he started 37 games at center and earned multiple conference awards.
Early career
Saturday went undraftedUndrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....
in the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
, but the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
signed him as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on April 27, 1998, only to waive him on June 12, 1998. The Colts signed him as a free agent on January 7, 1999 and has remained with the Colts ever since.
Indianapolis Colts
In his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season, Saturday backed up starting guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Steve McKinney
Steve McKinney
Stephen Michael McKinney is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, and earned his first NFL start at left guard on November 21, 1999, against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After only two regular season starts in 1999, Saturday started all 16 regular season games of the 2000 season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
at center for the Colts. Over the following seasons, Saturday remained the team's starting center, appearing in 85 consecutive games before sitting out two games with an injury in December 2004. He remains a fixture on the Colts' offensive line, which has given up the fewest quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s among all NFL teams in the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
He was selected to his second NFL Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 2006, and started for the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
squad. In his first eight NFL seasons with the Colts, Saturday appeared in 121 regular season games, starting 112 of them. He also appeared in 13 playoff games, starting 12 of them. He passed the ball once during a game in 2004, but his attempt fell incomplete. His career passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
stands at 39.6.
On February 26, 2009, Saturday signed a three-year $13 million dollar contract with the Colts including a $7.45 million dollar signing bonus.
2007 playoffs
Though the Colts won at least 10 regular season games for five consecutive years under Head CoachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
, the team could not get to the Super Bowl, losing in the AFC Playoffs from 2002 to 2005. The 2006 Colts went 12-4 in the regular season but expectations were low in the playoffs as the team only earned a three-seed in the AFC. Nonetheless, on January 21, 2007, Saturday helped the Colts win the AFC Championship game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
when he recovered a teammate's fumble in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
and scored a touchdown. In that same game, the Patriots' left guard Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, making that game the first in NFL playoff history to have two offensive linemen score touchdowns in the same game. It was also the first playoff game in which an offensive lineman and defensive lineman (Dan Klecko
Dan Klecko
Dan Klecko is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Temple....
) from the same team scored a touchdown. Saturday also provided the key block on the game-winning touchdown run by Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
, pancaking Vince Wilfork
Vince Wilfork
-2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes...
, with quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
naming Saturday's play "The Block." Two weeks later, he helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Honors and awards
Saturday has been voted onto five Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
teams in 2005
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
, 2006
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
, 2007
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
, 2009
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
and 2010
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
(These Pro Bowls were played in the following calendar year). For the 2005 and 2007 seasons he was named to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
NFL All-Pro First Team. Jeff Saturday has also been named the 59th greatest player in the NFL Top 100 players of 2011.
Saturday also received the "Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award" from ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
columnist Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg Edmund Easterbrook is an American writer, lecturer, and a senior editor of The New Republic. His articles have appeared in Slate, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Wired, and Beliefnet. In addition, he was a fellow at the...
in January 2007.