INDIANAPOLIS – 60 active service members entered the Colts’ locker room to quite the surprise on Thursday afternoon.
They had personalized name plates and jerseys for the team’s inaugural “Salute to Service” flag football scrimmage.
“It’s been so amazing and especially seeing all this with people that I serve with on a daily basis,” said Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Ashton Morse. “Being able to celebrate them is fantastic.”
“I’ve literally got chills right now,” Air Force Technical Sergeant Mason Smith said. “For them to do stuff like this, it’s just incredible. Yeah, I’ve got chills right now. It’s really cool.”
Four teams representing the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy posed for pictures with the Lombardy Trophy before taking the field for games against each other.
“It’s so competitive, but it’s a love,” explained Army Master Sergeant Ashley Lovett. “It’s a love we have for each other because we’re all doing the same thing. We’re just fighting for our state and nation, but that competitiveness is real.”
Lovett has helped the Colts organize their military outreach for 15 years, so the team had an even bigger surprise for her: two tickets to this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans in February.
Blue, the Colts’ mascot snuck up behind Lovett while she doing an interview to deliver oversized tickets before the games started.
“For him to come up behind me and surprise me like that, I’ll have to take him out later,” Lovett laughed. “Military, we just want to be out there. We want to show everyone that we’re here serving and just be a part of our communities, so when something like that happens, it’s just a reminder of how loved we are and how appreciated we are.”
And Thursday was just the beginning of the Colts’ appreciation with several events planned over the next week.
“This is just the smallest token of gratitude that we can give,” said Ande Sadtler, the Colts Director of Community Impact. “Some have given the ultimate sacrifice, so it’s so important to honor them and thank them for all that they do for us.”
“I had no doubt they had something up their sleeves, Lovett said. “The Colts do an amazing job of recognizing all military all the time and not just the ‘Salute to Service’ game.”
“You hear about it all the time of people loving military and appreciating them,” said Morse. “Actually seeing the response firsthand is something truly special I’m able to carry on for the rest of my life.”
Sunday’s gameday activities will include a service breakfast and halftime enlistment ceremony.