James enjoys his homecoming

The game decided, it was time for a sentimental journey across the field for the Indianapolis Colts.

Edgerrin James had to be the most hugged man in America on Sunday. The running back's No. 32 jersey has switched to the Seattle Seahawks, but Sunday was a reminder of how the Colts' all-time leading rusher is still beloved by his old team and its fans.

And Edge, still keeping it cool, loved them right back after the Colts stuck it to the Seahawks 34-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Colts center Jeff Saturday grabbed him with an extended bear hug in an emotional embrace. Quarterback Peyton Manning and James chatted like two buddies alone, amid a flickering shower of camera flashbulbs.

Defensive end Dwight Freeney made sure he got a picture with James. Lastly and somewhat fittingly, old University of Miami buddy Reggie Wayne walked up.

"Man, you see how clean I am?" James said of his rather unused uniform, prompting an amused Wayne to buckle in laughter.

"He didn't play enough to get dirty," Wayne said of James, "his homey," who rushed four times for 16 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards and a first down.

The Colts had this one put away, ahead 28-3 late in the third, when James caught his only pass. At the end of the third quarter, stadium video screens showed a series of James highlights. At the end, the blue screens read: "Thank you for the memories." And then: "See you soon in the Ring of Honor."

Then there was James, sitting on the bench. He saw himself on the screen, smiled as usual, and raised his left hand to acknowledge a sellout crowd that cheered him from the first of five touches to his last.

"That was sweet," he said of the video. "A lot of guys on this team didn't know I could move like that."

Manning also was moved by the touching tribute.

"I kind of got a little choked up watching the highlights tape," the three-time league MVP said. "I've never forgotten how great he was, and I truly use the word great."

James nudged his 11-year rushing total to 12,180 yards, just 64 behind Marcus Allen for 10th in NFL history. His first carry Sunday was his 3,000th.

From his first rushing attempt in 1999, the dude with dreadlocks endeared himself to the Colts. The fourth overall pick won a rushing title as a rookie, then another in his second year. Through 2005, James ran for 9,226 yards on 2,188 carries, both team records.

"What a pleasure to watch," Manning said, referring to how he used to prefer to watch James run as opposed to finishing the play. "The coaches were always on me, 'You've got to carry out your fakes. You've got to carry out your fakes.' And I kept saying, 'I want to watch.' "

James signed as a free agent with Arizona in 2006. The Colts won the Super Bowl that next year. Colts owner Jim Irsay thought enough of James to give him a ring.

After two more years that were less than stellar in the desert, James was released with one year to go on his contract. He signed with Seattle in late August.

James, 31, no longer starts. He's in a three-man rotation behind Julius Jones and Justin Forsett.

By his own admission, he will always be a Colt.

The hugs didn't end on the field. Outside the locker room, James shared a word and another embrace with the man who drafted him. Colts president Bill Polian said he hoped the next time their paths cross, it would be when James joins the Ring of Honor.

"I hope I'm here to see it," Polian said.

It's not often a game can be remembered for what happens outside of the outcome. But this was one of those games.

"I'll always look back at this day," James said. "This day right here will always be special to me."



(indystar.com)