Jeff Saturday had the perfect response to all of his critics
Earlier this week, the Colts decided to part ways with head coach Frank Reich, paving the way for one of the most controversial interim head coaching appointments in recent memory.
The Colts could have went a number of ways with an interim head coaching hire, but as we all know by now they chose the most unconventional in naming, not a member of the current coaching staff, but instead former Pro Bowl offensive lineman and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday come in and take the reigns of the team for the final eight games of the regular season.
Vocal critics of the outside-the-box approach came immediately, and that criticism only intensified when the team decided that 30-year old assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier would be stepping in as the interim offensive coordinator.
Saturday had served in a consulting role for the Colts while juggling his ESPN analyst duties, and while he has never coached in the NFL or college, he did spend three seasons a few years ago as the head coach at Hebron Christian (GA), where he went 21-16 before stepping down.
In front of the media for the first time on his own yesterday, Saturday was asked about the criticism of his hire, and his response has won over a lot of people that may have been on the fence.
"Here's the deal. I'm completely comfortable with who I am as a man. I know I can lead men. I know the game of football and I am passionate about it."
"I have no fear about 'Are you as qualified as somebody else?'" I spent 14 years in that locker room. I went to the playoffs 12 times. I've got five dudes in the Hall of Fame that I played with. You don't think I've seen greatness? You don't think I've seen how people prepare? How they coach? How they GM? How they work?"
"Here's the deal man. None of us are promised a good job. I may be terrible at this and at the end of eight games I'll say 'God bless you. I am no good.' I may be really good at it.:
"I got no idea. But I dang sure ain't going to back down. I can tell you that."
Call me an OL homer, but that's spoken in a way that only a decorated offensive lineman could.
Hear Saturday's full answer in the clip.
