Indianapolis Colts

Ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee learned the hard way ... WRESTLING HURTS! 

McAfee was hosting his WWE Watch Along show for the 'Extreme Rules' pay-per-view -- when he invited WWE legend Matt Hardy to demonstrate a Kendo stick attack on his back. 

Hardy reached back and delivered an EPIC shot on Pat's back -- creating one of the most painful sounds we've ever heard -- and leaving one hell of a black and blue mark!!

The entire room erupted ... as Pat tried to cope with the pain. It's insane. 

What's interesting ... one of the stars in the room was Baron Corbin -- who was hit with a Kendo stick by Seth Rollins during their main event match later that evening! 

Bottom line ... it may be scripted, but it ain't fake. 

By the way, McAfee was a pretty solid punter in the NFL -- he was a 2-time Pro Bowler and was a 1st-team All-Pro in 2014. 

He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 7th-round of the 2009 NFL Draft -- and played until 2016, when he retired (partially due to knee injuries). 

If ya think Eli Manning's dad is pissed the Giants drafted his son's replacement ... think again -- 'cause Archie Manning tells TMZ Sports, Daniel Jones is a GOOD pick for the G-men.

"They drafted a really good, young man," Archie says ... "A really good, young player."

Of course, the Giants just picked up the Duke QB with the No. 6 overall selection in April's NFL Draft ... and that means Eli's days are officially numbered in NY.

But, Archie says he ain't mad Eli's team drafted a guy to replace him ... and, in fact, Papa Manning says he actually saw it coming.

"I knew they were probably going to draft a QB," Archie says.

As for how Eli is handling the situation, Archie tells us the 38-year-old isn't ready to give up the starting QB reins just yet ... saying, "he's working hard, ready to go."

"How often have you suffered because of your last name?"

That's one of Tom Hanks' first-ever questions to Andrew Luck ... straight-up wondering how much the Indianapolis Colts QB has been made fun of in his life.

Don't worry ... Luck played off the awkward question well -- "It goes both ways!" -- and the two had a pretty fun first encounter Wednesday nonetheless.

Hanks and Luck were together for an event at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis ... when Hanks revealed he's a big Luck fan -- telling the QB, "I love watching you play."

The two talked for a while ... discussing everything from Indianapolis, to social media to dealing with haters. Tom was a co-host on NBC's 'Today' Thursday ... a special spotlighting Elizabeth Dole's Hidden Heroes' campaign.

They even posed for a pic too ... and the caption the Colts wrote for it couldn't have been more perfect -- "Andy and Woody."

Troubled QB Chad Kelly just signed a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts -- and it begs the question ... is his uncle, Jim Kelly, to thank?

Here's the deal ... Jim had been working out with Chad this offseason to help him get a second shot in the NFL after he was cut by the Denver Broncos in 2018 following a bizarre arrest.

But, it's also hard to ignore the Jim Kelly connection with the Colts -- a team coached by Jim's former backup, Frank Reich!

Remember, Frank famously took over for an injured Jim Kelly in Buffalo during the 1992 NFL playoffs and led the Bills to the most historic comeback win ever when they were down 35-3 at halftime to the Houston Oilers.

So, did Jim call in a favor to his old friend?

Maybe ... but Chad still has to cut it on the field or else he'll be outta there.

Chad has to keep his nose clean while trying to earn his job on the regular season roster -- he was just sentenced to 1 year supervised probation after striking a plea deal in his home invasion arrest.

As we previously reported, Chad entered a random person's home after a night of boozing with the team back in October -- and was chased out of the home by a man wielding a vacuum cleaner tube.

After the Broncos cut Chad, his Hall of Fame uncle Jim met up with him to help guide along his QB workouts ... and he looked pretty good.

Kelly got a tryout with the Colts earlier this month -- and it seems they liked what they saw.

NFL Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti -- a 2-time NFL champ -- has died at the age of 92, his family confirms.

Marchetti wasn't just a legend on the field -- he was a U.S. Army soldier who bravely fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a machine gunner in World War II.

After he returned home from the war, Marchetti was selected in the 2nd round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yanks, which later became the Baltimore Colts.

During his NFL career, Marchetti -- mainly a defensive end -- was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and was a 9-time 1st Team All-Pro!!!!!

Marchetti was such a stud, he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, joining guys like Deacon Jones and Reggie White.

His number 89 jersey was retired by the Indianapolis Colts -- and he's a member of the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Marchetti passed away at a Pennsylvania hospital with his wife, Joan, by his side.

Joan told the Baltimore Sun, "I kissed him and he knew me and smiled ... That was Gino’s way of saying goodbye."

Forget Rookie of the Year ... Darius Leonard is now Good Samaritan of the Year -- 'cause the Colts star linebacker pulled off on the side of the road to help a woman change her tire!!

It all went down this past weekend ... when a woman clearly needed an assist with a busted wheel on her Buick.

Enter 23-year-old Leonard -- the AFC's 6"2', 234-pound Rookie Of The Year -- who got down on his hands and knees to help the woman out!!!

Leonard seemed to have no problem gettin' dirty ... he was crawling through some thick grass to make sure the tire was changed properly.

As for the woman ... she was grateful for the awesome gesture, saying to the linebacker, "Thank the lord for angels!"

It's just another good mark on Leonard's awesome resume ... the dude's done nothing but kill it since entering the NFL -- 'memba when he had 163 tackles and 7 sacks last season!!!

Colts owner Jim Irsay just added another sweet piece of history to his impressive collection ... a super famous John Lennon piano!!!

We're told Jim paid a whopping $718,750 for the piano Lennon used to write The Beatles' eighth studio album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." As we first reported ... the famous piano went up for auction earlier this month ... with Irsay rising above the rest.

The piano is one of several Lennon stored and used at his famous Kenwood house on St. George's Hill estate in Weybridge, England. Legend has it, this was his favorite piano, which itself is a piece of history ... it's a John Broadwood & Sons piano that dates back to 1872!!!

The piano also features a plaque that says, "On this piano was written: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Good Morning, Good morning, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Many others. John Lennon. 1971."

Jim's clearly ecstatic after hauling the relic piece.

He's a HUGE music memorabilia collector. Jim also owns the Yellow Cloud electric guitar Prince used in concerts from the late 80s. He also paid nearly $1 million for Jerry Garcia's one-of-a-kind "Tiger" guitar. And, he's also the proud owner of the Fender Stratocaster used by Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival back in 1965 ... after dropping another near $1 million.

Ex-Colts superstar Robert Mathis is not allowed to have a single sip of alcohol for the next 365 days -- per the terms of his sentence in his driving while intoxicated case, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 6-time Pro Bowler -- currently a pass rush consultant for the Colts -- was pulled over in October 2017 after cops say he was driving the wrong way on a 1-way street around 12:09 AM while failing to use his turn signals.

During the stop, officers noticed "his speech was slow and thick and he appeared lost and confused" ... and they arrested him for driving while intoxicated.

Mathis' blood alcohol level was actually below the legal limit at .052 -- but he admitted he did take a sleeping pill in addition to the booze ... so officials hit him with the OWI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) charge anyway.

Mathis fought it in court the past year and a half ... but finally cut a deal with prosecutors Tuesday to close the case.

According to court docs, Mathis pled guilty to 1 misdemeanor count of OWI -- and in exchange got 1 year of probation and 60 days in jail ... with credit for 2 days served and the rest of the sentence suspended.

Translation -- if Mathis abides by the terms of his probation, he won't have to serve the remaining 58 days. But, if he screws up, he could be thrown behind bars.

As for the probation -- the big stipulation is NO BOOZE for 365 days. He's also ordered to stay away from bars.

Additionally, Mathis must pay court costs and fees and attend a victim impact panel.

He was facing 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

Darius Leonard's mom better start prepping for the surprise now ... the Colts superstar says his gift giving won't stop with a Mercedes -- he's gunning to get her a new house too!!!

"That's the goal," the LB tells TMZ Sports ... "That's the ultimate goal."

ICYMI ... Leonard surprised his mom with a new set of wheels just a couple days ago -- and she went CRAZY after seeing the present ... doing full-sprint laps in the parking lot!!

The video was epic ... and Leonard says she reacted that way 'cause, "It's something that she's always wanted. She's always wanted a Mercedes-Benz."

In fact, Leonard tells us she's been driving it around town at dangerously slow speeds 'cause she doesn't want to get even a scratch on her new baby!!!

But, Darius says there's more in store for Momma ... he's telling us he's got plans to get her a new house next.

As for why ... Leonard obviously LOVES her -- but, he says she's a big reason he's such an athletic freak.

And, if his play on the gridiron this year didn't prove those genes ... he explained to us why he might've been in the NBA if his football career didn't get in the way!!!

Forget Rookie of the Year ... Darius Leonard is now the Son of the Year -- 'cause the Colts superstar just bought his mom a new car ... AND SHE FREAKIN' LOVED IT!!!

Leonard surprised his mom with a new Mercedes over the weekend ... and her reaction to the gift was priceless -- doing a FULL SPRINT to the car, followed by celebratory laps in the parking lot.

It's an amazing video.

"Ain't [nothing] like putting a smile on your mother face!" Leonard wrote of the present ... "We've been through so much and now it's like we're on top of the world!"

It's been an incredible year for Darius ... the 2nd-round pick came outta nowhere to become one of the league's best linebackers -- winning Rookie of the Year honors this month.

But, things are about to get WAY better for Leonard and his mom soon ... dude is now just 3 years away from a FAT new contract.

Coincidence that Colts linebacker Darius Leonard was drug tested after single-handedly wrecking the Dallas Cowboys offense on Sunday?

He thinks not ...

The rookie superstar logged 11 tackled and broke up 2 passes in Indy's 23-0 route of America's Team -- and after the game, Leonard says the NFL selected him to pee into a cup.

"NFL this can't be a coincidence," the 2nd round draft pick posted on social media.

"Everybody else gone home after the game," Leonard said ... "Last one in here. Got a drug test. Once again! Once again after a game! Got a drug test. Still stuck in here, an hour and a half after the game."

Good news for Darius ... he's yet to fail one of the tests.

Remember the two field goals Adam Vinatieri made that won Tom Brady and the Patriots two Super Bowls??

Yeah ... A.V. says they aren't the best of his career.

"As proud as I am of those two kicks, I think the one that I'm probably the most proud of is the one in the Snow Bowl game in the divisional playoff game against Oakland."

That's right ... the dude who's made over 575 kicks in his career and owns the most points in NFL history says his 45-yard, 4th-quarter boot back in 2001 tops 'em all.

"There were five, six, seven inches of snow on the ground, we’re down by three and it’s a 45-yard field goal," Vinatieri said on the Talk of Fame Network.

"And, if you miss, the season’s over and you’re cleaning out your locker."

Adam continued: “To be able to put that one through the posts … to be able to tie the game up and then go into overtime and have a shorter field goal to win … I think that’s probably the one I’m most proud of just because of the sheer difficulty."

Of course ... that WAS the field goal that kicked off the whole Pats dynasty -- so maybe Adam's got a point.

Then again, if the Tuck Rule never happened -- neither does the kick.

Sorry, Oakland.

Ex-Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel says he's THRILLED his former player Anthony Gonzalez was elected to Congress Tuesday night ... saying he'd been planning for a political career ever since he was in the NFL.

The 34-year-old wide receiver -- who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft -- was running for Congress in Ohio's 16th District (as a Republican) and WON!

Tressel -- who also worked as a consultant with the Colts while AG was on the team -- says he's convinced Gonzalez will be spectacular in his new role.

"I think anyone that becomes a 1st round draft choice in the NFL doesn’t just do it on talent and anyone that becomes a U.S. congressman doesn’t do it just by showing up," Tressel said.

"The hard work he put into preparing himself for both things, the hard work he has most recently put in on the campaign trail ... he’s there for the people and he’ll be tireless."

He added, "It’s just an exciting time for our country to have a young guy like that who's got the best interests of the people in mind to be going to serve in tough times."

"It’s not easy to serve in Congress. There’s nothing easy about it. They got a guy going there for all the right reasons."

As for Anthony's football career, he was pretty good until knee injuries forced him to retire in 2012.

The drunk driver who killed Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson in February just got sentenced to 16 years in prison.

As we previously reported, 26-year-old Jackson and his Uber driver were hit by a pickup truck while they were standing on the shoulder of a highway in Indiana.

37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Zavala pled guilty to 2 counts of "DUI that causes the death of another" in July.

Today, he faced a judge in Indiana ... and was hit with the maximum penalty -- 16 years in state prison.

After his prison sentence, Orrego-Zavala -- who's a Guatemalan citizen in America illegally -- faces deportation.

The case became a national story when President Trump tweeted that it was "disgraceful" that Jackson was killed by a man who was in the U.S. illegally.

Ever seen a person giddy to be smashed to the ground by a 6-foot-3, 265-pound man??

Well, now you have ... 'cause Andrew Luck says he was downright HAPPY to have been destroyed by Terrell Suggs during the Ravens-Colts tilt Monday night.

"I told Anthony [Castonzo] on the sideline, I said, 'Man, it was sort of fun to get hit by Suggs right there!'" Luck said.

The Indianapolis QB hasn't gone crazy ... he's just been out for the past year nursing a shoulder injury -- and when he came up from the hard tackle and felt no pain, it was a happy moment.

"I was like, 'Oh, I landed on my right elbow.' It was sort of reminiscent of how I injured my shoulder a couple years ago. And, I didn't feel anything."

"I didn't give it a second thought. So, I think that's actually a big deal for me."

It was just about the only happy moment for Luck against Baltimore ... he ended the night just 6-for-13 with a brutal interception.

Did you know Andrew Luck was jacked? We didn't ... until now.

The Indianapolis Colts QB was flexin' a legit 6-pack Thursday night in the locker room after his pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks ... a game where he went 6-9 for 64 yards.

It was Luck's first NFL action since 2016 -- but just because he missed playing time doesn't mean he missed the gym ... at least judging by the video.

Luck was standing behind coach Frank Reich -- who was talking about the importance of getting better every day -- and proved he's been doing that when it comes to his physique.