INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After retiring from the NFL in early March, former longtime Colts center Ryan Kelly is stepping into the next chapter of his life.

Drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Kelly spent nine seasons with the Horseshoe. Now 32, he shared a life update during the AC Golf Classic just a few months into retirement.

“My golf game is getting better,” Kelly said. “I’m chasing three kids around. Trying to figure out what’s next for me. But right now, we’re just having a lot of fun. Still keeping in touch with a lot of the guys, and they’re getting ready for the season, so it’s kind of an adjustment not being a part of that anymore.”

Kelly reflected on what he misses most about playing in the NFL.

“I kind of look back on 10 years and really appreciate what I was able to do and the people I was around,” Kelly said. “That’s ultimately what you miss the most is the guys and the people in the building. Little reunion tour maybe this year, come back to the Colts games, bring the kids.”

For most of Kelly’s life, he’s spent his days waiting for gameday. With more free time now, he says it’s been an adjustment not preparing his body for a long NFL season.

“It’s a little weird, you feel like you should be training,” Kelly said. “I try to do a little workout, not as much as I used to, to try to keep up with that. The mental side, it’s a challenge. I think that’s why golf’s been great for me. It’s like the unattainable achievement that you’re always trying to get to. I keep tabs with the guys, and I think what’s great is that’s what you miss the most. The kind of personalities you miss. Being in touch with those guys has been great.”

Though Kelly is no longer on the roster, he remains close with several Colts, including star guard Quenton Nelson and offensive line coach Tony Sparano.

As the Colts prepare for training camp in late July, Kelly praised Sparano’s coaching and Nelson’s leadership on the offensive line.

“They’re set up really well with Tony,” Kelly said. “Tony Sparano, I think is one of the finest line coaches in the league. Learned so much from his dad and really brought us back together in ‘23 to bring that unit back together. A lot of great players, talented players, but made us believe who we were, how we could be good together.”

“And Q, he’s out here today going into year nine,” Kelly said. “I remember when he was a rookie. It’s just amazing to see how fast it goes. But his steadfast leadership has been so good. I know they have great talent. Those guys really believe they can be great. I think that’s awesome. They play together, and you can watch their film. They have a great quarterback, great offense. Looking forward to watching them this year.”

The Colts’ offensive line that Kelly praised was among the NFL’s best last season. Indianapolis finished second in rushing touchdowns (27) and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.5).

According to Pro Football Focus, the unit ranked second overall in the league. The line also powered Jonathan Taylor to 1,585 rushing yards, the third-highest total by a running back last season.

Kelly also joked that his kids might one day follow in his footsteps as NFL offensive linemen.

“Some future offensive lineman, NFL offensive lineman right there,” Kelly said. “I see some of their feet, and I’m like, oh my God, these kids are going to be enormous. One already said they wanted to play for Alabama. We’ll see how it goes, we’ve got a couple more years.”

Kelly was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Colts during his nine seasons in Indy.

INDIANAPOLIS — A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle on the city’s east side early Monday morning, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

IMPD officers responded to a report of a personal injury crash around 6 a.m. on North Shadeland Avenue, near 38th Street and Pendleton Pike. That’s where another crash happened after the first.

Investigators say a man was standing outside of his vehicle. He was struck and critically injured.

Medics took him to a hospital, where he later died. Police confirmed that two other drivers stayed at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation.

Capturing The Feeling

Our photographer, known by many as Pink Bike Mike, shares how he ended up cruising around town on a pink chopper, camera bag strapped to his back.

When I was in second grade, my friend’s mom gave me the nickname “Michael Michael Motorcycle.” She thought she was teaching us how to balance a checkbook, not realizing she was manifesting my destiny instead.

But it wasn’t until eight years ago that my friend Scooter taught me how to ride on his 2002 Honda Shadow Spirit 750cc. We both dropped the bike that summer, putting matching dents on either side of the gas tank. A year later, I bought the Shadow and fully entered a new chapter of my life.

Three years ago, I became a “chopper guy,” earning a reputation for my hot pink 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster Custom chopper. Oil leaks, loose screws, the backbreaking feeling of hitting every small bump in the road, and old men constantly asking, “But why’s it pink?” became a personality statement.

Film photography and motorcycles go better together than prom king and queen. They hark back to a time when you tinkered with the equations and used your hands to determine the results. Plain and simple, they are a vintage lifestyle.

The biggest story in these photographs is the strength of the riding community. Sure, we rag on each other—sport bikes versus cruisers, vintage versus brand-new, carbureted versus fuel injection, Harley Davidson versus … everyone else—but at the end of the day, we are all just little kids cruising the neighborhood showing off our bikes.

Bike Night

Originally founded in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2002, high-performance motorcycle parts manufacturer Horsepower Inc. has called Gasoline Alley in Indy home since 2012. Every year around the Indianapolis 500, HPi hosts a bike night with hundreds of attendees from around the world. What started out in 2018 as a small gathering among friends and customers, with some Sam’s Club hot dogs on the grill and a few bottles of beer or Londo’s Flameade, has turned into a much-anticipated yearly event featuring vendors, food trucks, DJs, and stunt crews including Jeff (C-Bear), CJ and the Concrete Cowboys, Junkyard Kenny, and the EastCoastin’ Crew.