Professional career
Buffalo Bills
Polian was general manager for the Buffalo Bills from 1986 to 1992.[5] When Polian was promoted to general manager of the Bills on December 30, 1985, the Bills were suffering from back-to-back 2–14 seasons and fan interest was at an all-time low. Polian was originally hired as director of pro personnel for the Bills on August 2, 1984. Polian was instrumental in the signing of Bruce Smith to his first NFL contract, after which he was promoted to GM in 1985.[6] While GM of the Bills, Polian won the NFL Executive of the Year Award twice, in 1988 and in 1991.[7] After the 1992 season, on February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in, and lost, their third straight Super Bowl, Polian was fired as general manager.[8][9]
In 2012, Polian became the 28th inductee into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
Carolina Panthers
Polian was general manager of the Carolina Panthers from 1995 to 1997.[10] He tried to create the quickest Super Bowl winner in history, and nearly did so, building a team that went to the NFC Championship Game in only its second year of existence. This feat led him to a promotion, becoming not just the GM, but the president of the Indianapolis Colts.
Indianapolis Colts
In 1998, Polian was hired as president and decided to build through the draft as the Indianapolis Colts would have the No. 1 overall pick for 1998; the Colts picked Peyton Manning. In 2002, Polian hired head coach Tony Dungy.
During his tenure, the Colts led the NFL with eight consecutive playoff appearances and seven consecutive seasons of 12 or more regular-season victories. They won seven division titles (1999, 2003–07, 09), won Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears, and made a second Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLIV under coach Jim Caldwell but lost to the New Orleans Saints. From 2000 to 2009, the Colts (115–45) set the NFL mark for most wins in a decade, and their nine playoff berths tied the NFL record set by Dallas in the 1970s. Polian stepped down as general manager in 2009, being succeeded by his son Chris, but remained with the team as president and vice-chairman.
In 2006, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Polian reportedly shoved a New York Jets employee by pinning him against a wall, for placing speakers too close to the field during warmups.[11] The league required Polian to issue a written apology to the Jets employee.[12]
Polian and his son Chris were fired by owner Jim Irsay after the Colts finished with a 2–14 record in the 2011 season.[13]
On January 31, 2015, it was announced that Polian had been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[14] On January 1, 2017, Polian became the 13th inductee into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor.[15]
After leaving the Colts, Polian joined ESPN, where he contributed to various studio programming and was an analyst for NFL games on ESPN Radio. Polian retired from ESPN in 2019.[16]
In March 2018, Polian announced the creation of an off-season professional football league, called the Alliance of American Football, which he co-founded with Charlie Ebersol.[17] The league began playing in February 2019, with television broadcasts produced by CBS Sports, and airing on CBS, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and NFL Network.[18] On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were suspended by controlling owner Thomas Dundon, who purchased his stake in the league shortly after it began play.[19][20]
In January 2022, the Chicago Bears brought in Polian to help lead their search for a new head coach and general manager.[21] The Bears went on to hire Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles for the respective positions.[22]
Personal life
Polian is married to Eileen and has four kids: Lynn, Chris, Brian, and Dennis. Polian has nine grandkids: Annie, William, Jack, Caroline, Kate, Aidan, Charlotte, Finn, and Millie.[23][24] Polian joined ESPN in 2012 as an NFL analyst.[25]
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