Name: Quentin Coryatt
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Position: Linebacker
Card Year: 1997
Card Maker: Topps
Card Number: 359
I don't have particularly strong memories of the 1990s Colts besides them being very bad right before drafting Peyton Manning which, well, was the reason they were able to draft Peyton Manning.
The biggest reason I can't recall a whole lot about these Colts teams was that I was a very young child during this time - but the second biggest reason is that they were aggressively average. If you go through the seasons listed on Coryatt's card - the Colts finished with the following records:
1992: 9-7 - No Playoffs
1993: 4-12 - No Playoffs
1994: 8-8 - No Playoffs
1995: 9-7 - made it to the AFC championship game and lost to the Steelers
1996: 9-7 - lost in the wild card to the Steelers
Additionally, the 1991 Colts went 1-15 with the 26th ranked team defense according to Pro Football Reference so it only makes sense that they drafted Coryatt second overall after his impressive while brief time at Texas A&M. He was best known there for "The Hit" which broke TCU receiver Tyler McPherson's jaw in three places while knocking him unconscious.
Coryatt appeared to be a bright spot on what was a generally middle-of-the road defense throughout much of this time. The 1995 Colts were far and away the top defensive unit during this span ranking 5th in the NFL in terms of points against (316) and only giving away 8 rushing touchdowns. Coryatt led the team in solo tackles that season with 86 only to be very limited the following season due to a pectoral injury - one of what is alluded to many on the back of the card. He played the next two seasons for the Colts at a much lower level of production and finished his career seeing limited time with the Cowboys in 1999.
One thing that intrigued me about Coryatt was his birthplace of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. He is only one of eleven players ever to have been born in the Virgin Islands and only one (and the first) of five to have been born on St. Croix.
Quentin Coryatt's career while not completely, was effectively summarized on this card due to the many injuries he ended up sustaining - a disappointing outcome for such a high draft pick. Luckily for the Colts, they did not pick Ryan Leaf in the 1998 draft, and the rest is history.
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