Steve DeLong
The wall between the Colts' runners and the defense — built to last a season and a half of hits.
Steve DeLong is remembered as one of the most physically dominant and reliably productive fullbacks in Indianapolis Colts history. A cornerstone of the franchise's late-1980s and early-1990s running game, DeLong was the man who opened the hole so the ball-carrier could hit it, and his elite lead-blocking made him indispensable to the Colts' offensive identity during a period when the ground game was a primary weapon.
Though fullbacks rarely headline highlight reels, DeLong's career is a study in quiet, relentless excellence. He anchored the interior of the Colts' offensive line, set punishing blocks at the second level, and became the kind of player coaches built entire game plans around. His legacy endures in the Colts' organizational memory as the gold standard for the position.
- Position
- Fullback
- Team
- Indianapolis Colts
- Era
- Late 1980s – early 1990s
- Primary Role
- Lead-blocking / interior offensive line
- Playing Style
- Power, toughness, second-level disruption
- Honors
- Colts Hall of Fame
Lore & Background
In the late 1980s the Colts were rebuilding their offensive identity, and the blueprint was simple: control the line of scrimmage. Steve DeLong was the fulcrum of that philosophy. A fullback in the truest, grittiest sense of the word, he lined up in the backfield and treated every snap as a collision course with a linebacker or a middle guard. His blocks were not the quick, technical releases of a modern offensive lineman; they were full-body, shoulder-to-shoulder engagements that moved defenders off their feet and created the two or three yards of separation a running back needed to find the cutback lane.
Teammates and coaches alike spoke of DeLong's durability and work ethic. He was the player who never missed a practice, who ran every route on every rep, and who treated a 40-yard blocking assignment with the same intensity as a 40-yard touchdown run. In an era when the NFL was still finding its footing in Indianapolis, DeLong represented the kind of blue-collar commitment that defined the early identity of the franchise. He was not the flashiest name on the roster, but he was the one the offensive coordinator called on first when the game plan demanded a ground attack.
His induction into the Colts Hall of Fame cemented what fans and teammates had long understood: that the most important blocks are the ones you never see on a highlight reel, and that a fullback who could consistently clear the second level was as valuable as any playmaker on the field. DeLong's name sits alongside the greats of the franchise not for a single spectacular play, but for years of unglamorous, essential excellence.
In Their Own Story
The November wind off the Ohio River cut through the warm-up tunnel at the old stadium, carrying the smell of wet turf and diesel from the parking lot. DeLong stood in the huddle, breath fogging in the cold, his helmet tucked under one arm. The coach was drawing a play on the whiteboard — a simple inside zone, a two-man cut, and DeLong's name at the top of the blocking tree. He didn't need the board. He'd run this look a hundred times in the practice facility, shoulder pads cracking against a fullback who was never quite as big as the linebacker he was supposed to mirror. He rolled his neck, felt the familiar ache in his left shoulder from a week ago's hit, and smiled. Another snap. Another block. Another yard for the guy behind him. That was the job, and he was going to do it again.
Reader's Guide
Era at the Colts: Steve DeLong was a mainstay of the Indianapolis Colts' offense through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, a period when the franchise was solidifying its identity in its new city and building a reputation for physical, ground-oriented football.
Playing style: DeLong was a classic power fullback. His game was built on leverage, pad-level discipline, and an almost reckless willingness to engage defenders at full speed. He excelled at setting initial blocks at the line of scrimmage and, crucially, at tracking to the second level to seal off linebackers and free-safety blitzers. He was a reliable short-yardage and goal-line threat, a dependable pass-catcher out of the backfield, and a player who could turn a four-yard gain into a seven-yard one simply by refusing to let a defender through.
Greatest achievements: DeLong's greatest achievement was consistency. Over multiple seasons he was the offensive line's interior anchor, the player coaches trusted to execute the most critical blocks on third-and-short and in the red zone. His induction into the Colts Hall of Fame is the formal recognition of what his teammates and coaches knew day to day: he was the foundation of the running game.
Legacy: In a sport that often celebrates the ball-carrier, DeLong's legacy is a reminder that the game is won in the trenches. He set the standard for what a Colts fullback should be — tough, selfless, and always ready to take the hit so someone else could make the play. Young fullbacks who followed in Indianapolis were measured, in part, against the standard he set.
Did You Know?
- DeLong's blocking assignments often required him to engage defenders 200+ pounds heavier than himself, making his pad-level discipline and leverage technique the key to his success.
- He was a critical component of the Colts' short-yardage and goal-line package, frequently called upon in the red zone where a single well-set block could be the difference between a first down and a punt.
- In an era when the fullback position was still a core part of NFL offensive schemes, DeLong represented the archetype of the position at its most physical and demanding.
- His Colts Hall of Fame induction is a testament to the fact that the franchise values the unsung, grind-it-out contributors as highly as the headline playmakers.