Derek Schultz: Indy’s ‘prime time’ personalities

They might fall short of Deion, but Indy has had its share of sports characters

Nearly 40 years after high-stepping into our collective consciousness, one of the most unique personalities in sports history is dominating the national headlines once again.

Deion Sanders, who wowed fans with his two-sport prowess, playing in the World Series and Super Bowl, while captivating the media with his “Prime Time” alter ego throughout the 1990s, is back to being must-see-TV following an incredible and stunning start to his major college football coaching career.

He enthralled us as a Hall of Fame player—sporting a flashy Jheri curl and shades as an All-American at Florida State and trademark bandana and cocksure attitude as a pro. Now, at the helm of the University of Colorado, a once-proud program and former national champion (1990) that had fallen into irrelevancy the previous two decades, he has the nation glued to “Coach Prime.”

In the season’s first two weeks, Sanders’ Buffaloes shocked last year’s national championship runner-up TCU on the road and pounded traditional rival Nebraska to already eclipse the team’s 2022 win total. The latter game attracted more wagers from sports bettors—85% of the public money was on Deion and Colorado—than any game on the NFL’s opening-week Sunday schedule. His son and quarterback, Shedeur, has rocketed to Heisman Trophy front-runner status, while former No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter is making history as a two-way standout. Given his history, it’s no surprise Sanders hasn’t been bashful to crow about these early successes, openly challenging doubters in the media and declaring his and Colorado’s presence on the national stage.

“I don’t think I stumbled or stuttered when I told you that we’re coming,” Sanders told Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft after the blowout win over Nebraska, “We comin’!”

That polarizing cockiness, along with Sanders’ top-20-ranked football team, will be featured on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” and ESPN’s “College Gameday” this Saturday as the sport’s most prominent pregame shows have made the unusual decision to appear in the same place at the same time for this week’s CU/Colorado State matchup in Boulder. And while there are other valid reasons to put the unbeaten Buffs back on TV, we all know the reason the networks are scrambling to get their cameras out to the Rockies: They can’t get enough of Deion Sanders.

While we haven’t enjoyed a personality quite like Deion here in Indianapolis (Who has?), here are some other unforgettable, prime-time-like personalities this city has seen over the years:

Eric Dickerson

A blockbuster, 10-player deal on Halloween night in 1987 landed the Colts star running back Eric Dickerson, the team’s first significant acquisition. The flamboyant Dickerson had backed up his swagger, earning Pro Bowl berths in four of his first five seasons and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors the previous year. One of the biggest superstars in the league at that time, Dickerson immediately legitimized the Colts and earned Indianapolis considerable attention. In his first full season as a Colt (1988), Dickerson led the NFL in rushing, highlighted by a four-touchdown performance in a national TV beatdown of the defending AFC champion Broncos in the first-ever “Monday Night Football” broadcast in Indianapolis.

Alas, the palatable buzz around the city’s first face of the franchise faded quickly. Dickerson, whose personality was a perfect fit for flashy (and filthy, at least when it came to the NCAA rulebook) Southern Methodist University in Dallas and the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, wasn’t made for sleepy, late-1980s “Indianoplace.”

Boredom in Indy and frustration with a floundering franchise begat a public and ugly contract dispute with team management, and after threats of early retirement and multiple team-imposed suspensions for insubordination, Dickerson in 1992 was shipped back to LA, this time to the Raiders. He did return to Indianapolis in 2013 to be inducted into the Colts’ Ring of Honor and seems to have mended fences with the Irsay family, but neither Dickerson nor Colts fans have fond memories of his drama-filled tenure here.

Ron Artest

Ron Artest has never and will never be beloved in this town, but like Sanders and Dickerson, you could never quite take your eyes off of him. Acquired in a lopsided trade from Chicago in 2002, Artest became a tenacious enforcer, an all-star and a key part of the 2003-2004 Eastern Conference finalist Pacers team that still holds the franchise record for most regular-season wins (61). Any positive relationship he had with fans in Indiana was shattered after he was the central figure in the infamous Malice at The Palace, which short-circuited a potential championship season for the blue and gold the next year.

Artest was the ultimate edge-of-your-seat player. Fans never knew when he would flip, either on or off the court. He was incredibly eccentric, once wearing a bathrobe to Pacers practice and telling The Indianapolis Star it was his reminder “to take it easy” and earning a suspension for asking for time off during the hoops season to promote his rap album.

He was traded to Sacramento in the middle of the 2006 season, played an integral role on the Lakers’ championship team in 2010, and changed his name several times, finally landing on Metta Sandiford-Artest.

Pat McAfee

Despite kicking off a Super Bowl in his rookie season, Pat McAfee didn’t make a splash in Indianapolis until he, well, actually made a splash. An early-morning swim in the Broad Ripple canal during the 2010 season resulted in a public intoxication arrest and a widely shared mugshot.

While that incident might have brought him some embarrassment at the time, it humanized McAfee and launched his public persona throughout the city. Shortly after his late-night dip, McAfee began making regular radio appearances on “The Bob & Tom Show,” giving the full explanation for the much-maligned fake punt against the rival Patriots in a 2015 game and hosting his own weekly webcast for several other local media outlets.

One of the team’s most popular players in the 2010s, McAfee retired from the Colts after the 2016 season and has since used his unique character and showmanship to gain considerable fame. He signed a deal earlier this year that is reportedly in the eight-figure range to take his talents to ESPN, is a stalwart on the network’s celebrated “College Gameday” show and is a constant presence in WWE.

Lance Stephenson

When you mention “Lance” in Indianapolis, people know exactly whom you’re talking about. The only member of this list who was never named an all-star in his sport, Lance Stephenson might have had the most unique career path of them all.

A former blue-chip recruit, Stephenson was a second-round draft selection of the Pacers in 2010 and was buried on the roster for his first two seasons. He first got himself noticed when he flashed a choking gesture at LeBron James in a 2012 playoff game—little did we know then that it wouldn’t be the last time he poked the bear. Stephenson’s breakout season came in 2013-2014 when he started every game for the East-leading Pacers and again prodded LeBron, this time infamously blowing into his ear.

Stephenson never caught on anywhere else, spectacularly flaming out in Charlotte and having short-lived stints with a half-dozen other NBA teams, but strangely, each time he came back to Indiana he seemed to flourish—and he was adored for it. His famous air guitar celebration became a bit of a staple at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and he left Indiana fans with one last memory when he exploded for 20 first-half points off the bench in a 30-point performance against the Nets in his final season.•

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From Peyton Manning’s peak with the Colts to the Pacers’ most recent roster makeover, Schultz has talked about it all as a sports personality in Indianapolis for more than 15 years. Besides his written work with IBJ, he’s active in podcasting and show hosting. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Schultz975.