The conventional wisdom heading into the 2002 NFL draft was Dwight Freeney was too small to play defensive end. Critics also contended his trademark spin move would hit a wall against the league’s bigger, stronger offensive linemen. But former Colts general manager Bill Polian and former coach Tony Dungy saw something completely different on tape.
FILE - Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney reacts after a sack of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. rushes in during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Indianapolis, Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. and Indianapolis Colts’ Dwight Freeney chase a loose ball in the first quarter of the Super Bowl XLI NFL football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007.
Freeney didn’t disappoint. He took full advantage of his speed, his innovative moves and used the motivation of proving those doubters wrong all the way to a 16-year Hall of Fame career. He will be presented by“We all believed Dwight had the ability to be a force in the league,” Polian told The Associated Press. “The spin move was one Dwight executed perfectly and really perfected, so it was fine with us.
That tag-team tandem quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s most feared pass-rushing duos, making Freeney even more dangerous. Freeney won the league’s sacks title in 2004 with 16. Two years later, Freeney and Mathis were the key components on Indy’s Super Bowl-winning defense. In Indianapolis, all Freeney’s teammates and coaches cared about was that it worked — even if Freeney wasn’t playing the sport exactly by the book.
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