Colts’ Offensive Tackle Ryan Diem Retires: Fan’s Reaction

The Indianapolis Colts lost another of their longtime players on Friday March 23. Offensive tackle Ryan Diem retired from the game of football. Diem had played 11 seasons with the team and was a mainstay on the offensive line. Owner Jim Irsay announced Diem's retirement on his Twitter account.

Diem played in 157 games for the the team and started 150 of them. He started in every game he played in from 2002 to 2011. Most of those games were as the right tackle where he protected quarterback Peyton Manning. This is a position where it is difficult to find a quality starter. Indianapolis was luck to have the same one for over a decade.

The loss of Diem is just another sign of the team fans have become accustomed to seeing on Sundays unraveling. While the change was necessary, it means losing several of the players Colt fans grew up watching and rooting for. I never thought Ryan Diem was an elite player, but was never worried by his performance on gamedays. Near the end of his career, Ryan Diem was commonly plagued by false start penalties that cost the team countless yards. He was no longer an elite player and is hanging it up at the just the right time.

Fans should rejoice that Diem is retiring as a member of the Indianapolis Colts and to have played for just one team throughout his entire career. This is a luxury that other Colt greats like Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning will not be able to have. While Diem isn't a star in the way that Peyton Manning or Dallas Clark or Joseph Addai are, he was a quality player that played several meaningful games in a Colt uniform. Fans appreciated the hard work he put in and will be sad to see him go. I'm happy to see him go as an Indianapolis Colt and after playing his entire career there.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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Colts OL Diem decides to reitre after 11 years

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