When long snapper Luke Rhodes took the field for warm ups before the Colts' home game against the Houston Texans, he thought it would be the same as any other pregame: he'd meet with service members and then start his warmups.
However, Week 3 was different from any of his others.
"I turned around and I see Rigo, Spence and (Colts vice president of team engagement David Thornton) walking out," Rhodes recalled. "I was wondering what was going on, but they made it pretty special, and having them present the game ball to me and the nomination for the Salute to Service Award was also pretty special."
2026 marks the second straight year that Rhodes has been the Colts' Salute to Service nominee. He has spent his decade-long NFL career recognizing service members and uses the Colts' ticket block at every game to invite service members and their families.
"It's important that we take care of people who take care of us," Rhodes said. "The sacrifices they make and their families make to give us the opportunity to play this game. There's not enough awareness for people who provide support and protection for our country, even the ones we've lost."
Rhodes grew up in a military household. His late father, Doug, served for 22 years as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot. Rhodes says his dad taught him a million things, but leadership and service are top of the list.
"He kind of instilled that into our family and just his leadership role and, you know, his his service leadership that he provided for us and the values and the and the core beliefs that he really exemplified in our family, you know, really translated into my life and and how I would want our family to operate and my role in in our family," Rhodes said. "Just what he sacrificed for not just our family but for the country is you know it's a debt like I said, that we can't repay. And what he provided for our family in terms of, you know, just leadership and love and service and and everything is just something that I would love to, you know, just be half of what he had, and what he gave us. I'll forever be thankful for that."
Rhodes had a first-hand witness to the work that not only his father put in to serve the country, but how his mother supported the family while Doug was gone training and serving. Because of that, it's important to Rhodes to honor family members as well.
"The families that are behind the husband or wife that are kind of leading both roles in the household are just incredible. It's really beautiful to watch the family member that's behind kind of take on an extra role," he said. "And I think they need to be celebrated just as much because of the sacrifice that they make, not having their spouse there with them, helping them, just knowing that they're away, you know, providing support and service, and so I think it's amazing to watch them."
It's not just the men and women he meets that notice the impact Rhodes has on others. His teammates can see it from afar.
"I think it means everything to Luke. He takes a lot of pride in it because of his father, his upbringing," Sanchez said. "He stands up for what he believes. I truly admire him for taking that leadership role his dad gave him and he's doing an incredible job. I'm super proud of him."
