Who's got Peyton's back now?

It's been a rough offseason for my Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

They lost six players who started games last season, including LB Cato June (the third best defensive player on the team), both starting cornerbacks (Jason David and Nick Harper), RB Dominic Rhodes, slot receiver Brandon Stokley and DT Montae Reagor.

But the offseason just got a whole lot rougher.

Left tackle Tarik Glenn announced yesterday that he is retiring from the NFL.

Glenn was the anchor of the Colts' offensive line for the last 10 years charged with the team's most important duty: protecting Peyton Manning's blindside. A franchise left tackle is hard to come by - there's a reason two of the first five picks in this year's draft were offensive tackles. That's why he's a bigger loss than June, Harper, Stokley and all of the others combined.

As a rule, linemen rarely get any love from fans. In my 21 years in Indiana, I've seen fans wearing jerseys for quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, defensive tackles, defensive ends, linebackers, wide receivers and TWO different kickers (Adam Vinatieri and Mike Vanderjerk) - but no offensive linemen.

Glenn was introduced at a Pacers game I went to over Thanksgiving break last year and got a decent roar from the crowd. When coach Tony Dungy was introduced, he got a standing ovation.

From my cheap seats in the nosebleeds, I could see Glenn courtside wearing a Stephen Jackson jersey (God knows why). He wasn't pestered by fans or flooded with autograph requests. Had Manning been sitting there, more fans would have watched him than the Pacers victory over LeBron James and the Cavs.

I understand why offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve. They're big dudes who shove people around for a living. Hardly a glitzy job, compared to throwing perfect, 50-yard spirals to men who run 4.4 40s. It's hard to quantify a lineman's success, and most casual observers can't tell the difference between an OK one and a great one. But here's one stat that sticks out: in the last 128 games, the Colts O-line has given up just 155 sacks - fewest in the NFL. Glenn deserves much of the credit for that.

Manning is the NFL's biggest star today and will be remembered as one of - if not the - greatest quarterbacks of all-time, but he wouldn't have been without Glenn. As god-like as Peyton is, he can't do much when he's constantly falling on his backside (even if it is the greatest backside in sports). Just ask David Carr.

I can't blame Glenn for leaving. He's exiting the game in his prime (three straight Pro Bowls), on his own terms, coming off of a championship run. In his last NFL game, he gave Indianapolis its first Super Bowl championship and helped one of the best QBs ever win a Super Bowl MVP. He's going out on top.

Like Manning, Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy, Glenn should be remembered as one of the best of his generation. A Colts hero. An Indiana legend.

The Indianapolis Star's Bob Kravitz summed it up best. Glenn's long, dignified career full of great blocking and a dedication to the community makes him worthy of having his name put up in the Colts' Ring of Fame.

Just to the left of Peyton Manning.