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Aiden Beadles named Indianapolis Colts High School Man of the Year
The sport of football inspires values of character, leadership and teamwork. Each season, the Colts High School Man of the Year program will recognize Indiana high school football players who exemplify these values on and off the field.
An internal selection panel, composed of various Colts staff members vote on the top selections, with a heavy focus on community involvement. Nominees will be evaluated based on their work in the community, academic accomplishment and football performance. The Colts will recognize the winner with a donation to the winner’s non-profit or community group of choice.
After reviewing nominations and internal selection panel discussions, the Indianapolis Colts have announced that Aiden Beadles of South Putnam High School as the 2023 High School Man of the Year.
Aiden, a current senior, has been a three-year starter on the defense, surpassing 400 tackles from his middle linebacker position. Academically, Aiden has received AP/honor roll recognitions, football Academic All-State, Purdue University Junior Scholar Award and is a National Honor Society member.
Aiden has worked with the following organizations as a volunteer in some capacity:
— Future Farmers of America (7 years of involvement)
— 4-H
— Putnam County Community Foundation
— Youth Philanthropy Committee
— South Putnam Student Council
— P.I.E. Coalition
— South Putnam Athletics Department
Beadles, who was recently named Putnam County Defensive Player of the Year for a second time, said the Colts Community, an arm of the Indianapolis Colts organization, made the award presentation to the South Putnam senior on Wednesday.
“The Colts took a combination of my results on the football field along with my work within the community and with local organizations,” Beadles said about what went into the decision-making process for the award. “They gave me four tickets to the Colts’ final game of the season, bring me out at halftime against the Texans and recognize me.
“They are also going to give $2,500 to the organization of my choosing.”
South Putnam head coach Chuck Sorrell put Beadles forward as a nominee for the award, noting that the application was sent in back in October and finalized last week.
“Coaches could nominate any player they felt goes above and beyond just being a football player,” Sorrell said. “Aiden’s community involvement, character-building work and all the other things he’s involved in made him an obvious choice to nominate.
“The list was whittled down to 40 players who met the criteria and then five finalists were selected before he was announced as the winner.”
Beadles said he was notified that he would be interviewed this week, only to see a member of the Colts appear on the computer screen he was expecting to use for the conversation.
“At the end of last week, on Friday, the organization told me I was a finalist in an email,” Beadles said. “They said I would need to interview to compete for the actual prize at the end.
“Initially, they said they wanted to do the interview on Monday; on that day, they said they wanted to move the interview to Wednesday after school. I came in (Wednesday) after school where my family, my coaches and the administration was all there.
“I was stressed beyond belief only for them to tell me that I had won,” Beadles added. “(Zaire) Franklin, a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts, came on and was the one who told me.
“He said that they were proud of the things I was doing, what I was doing in the community was phenomenal and that we need more leaders like you.”
“I had to coordinate getting all the people in the room without letting (Aiden) know,” Sorrell said, noting the change in dates related to the Colts having time off on Wednesday. “He was nervous, thinking he was going to interview in front of all those people but he was already past that stage.
“The Colts are pretty serious about that honor. The winner is someone who has stepped up and really been involved, which Aiden more than has been.”
Beadles said it took some time to process everything but was honored by the recognition he received.
“I’m still beyond words,” Beadles said. “I didn’t know how to react.
“There was so much anxiety and suspense leading up to it. When they told me I had won, it was a moment of relief. I was blown away.
“I’m glad the work that I’ve done can be recognized. It’s a prestigious award and I’m very honored,” Beadles added.
While proud to be named Man of the Year, Beadles said he hoped others would take notice and find their own way to go out and support their communities.
“I’m not in it for the recognition,” Beadles said. “I love serving my community.
“I love to serve others. It doesn’t make that any better that I’ve won an award but it will hopefully encourage others to go out in the community and serve.”