60 Heroes: An Anchor and Olive Branch for the NFLPA

After the tension settled and the lockout ended following the 2011 collective bargaining negotiations between the NFL and its players, perhaps the lasting image was Jeff Saturday hugging New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft outside the NFLPA offices. It symbolized the commitment and ability of the long-time Indianapolis Colts center to reach across the table and bring the two sides toward an agreement.

After being an all-ACC standout at North Carolina, Saturday went undrafted in 1998. He spent several months working at an electrical supply store before being picked up by the Colts in 1999. Three years later, Saturday had become a starter as well as the team’s Player Rep. He would go on to join the NFLPA’s Executive Committee, serving as a Vice President.

Saturday made his greatest impact in that capacity in 2011 after the owners and players reached an impasse when negotiating a new CBA, and the NFLPA was forced to renounce its status as a union to challenge the owners' lockout. The All-Pro, Super-Bowl winning lineman attended every bargaining session and dutifully represented his fellow NFLPA members before the media and public.

The next year, he joined the Green Bay Packers for two seasons before retiring in 2013 and serving out his Executive Committee term through the next year. Saturday remains a strong voice for the players through his partnership with the NFLPA and as an analyst for ESPN.