Though I was unaware of this before Media Day, Ricky Proehl plays for the Colts now. Once Brandon Stokely's ankle started acting up, the Colts apparently signed him to be their token white wide receiver guy. Any team worth its salt has one of these guys. And Ricky Proehl's quite possibly the best one to ever play.  

Proehl only appeared in 2 games this year, catching 3 passes for 20 yards. That hasn't stopped him from becoming a major locker room force. When I spoke to him on Media Day, he was open to answer any question I had.

Was he giving advice to the younger guys?

"We're professionals here. Yeah, I'm offering advice. But everyone's focused and prepared."

What was the biggest play of his career?

"Probably the 1999 NFC Championship Game. 4 minutes left, down 6-5...that touchdown versus the Bucs."

Is this one special?

"It's great to be back."

You, along with Vinny Testaverde are the only active non-kickers in the NFL to have been in 1990's "Tecmo Super Bowl" game. What's that like?

"You know, the players razz me about that all the time. They play that video game in the locker room - and they'll use the Cardinals and goof off about the fact that I'm in it. Peyton loves giving me crap for being so old. He'll see an NFL Films highlight and say, "Oh, hey, there's Bert Jones ... weren't you guys rookies together?"

I wonder if he knows about Bo Jackson's prowess in that game.

I knew Proehl was in a few Super Bowls, but I had no idea how good he's been in them. It turns out that this will be the 17-year vet's fourth Super Bowl appearance in 8 years. With the Rams in '99, he had a huge game in the NFC Championship game, catching 6 balls for 100 yards, and hauling the aforementioned touchdown. He caught a ball in the Rams epic win over the Titans two weeks later.

Against the Patriots in '01, Proehl hauled in 3 balls for 71 yards, including a game-tying touchdown with 1:30 left in the game. Of course, Tom Brady then went on to lead the most miraculous drive in Super Bowl history, setting up Adam Vinatieri's legendary game-winning field goal.

Two years later, suiting up for the Panthers, Proehl caught another late fourth quarter game-tying touchdown, hauling in a Jake Delhomme pass with 1:08 left to tie Super Bowl XXXVIII with only 1:08 left. Vinatieri ruined that one too.

When NFL Films someday does a Ricky Proehl highlight package, there will be more clutch Super Bowl catches in it than the ones they ultimately make for Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, and Terrell Owens combined. If there's an all-Super Bowl team for the game's 50th anniversary in nine years, it will be hard to leave him off the squad. Behind Jerry Rice, Lynn Swann, and Michael Irvin-there's arguably been no bigger Super Bowl performer, in so many different years, at the wideout position than Ricky Proehl.

Proehl will be in uniform for the Colts on Sunday. Whether or not he gets in the game is anybody's guess. But there's nothing he'd want more than another ring.

Luckily, Mr. Vinatieri is on his sideline this time around.