Colts lose legendary director of sports performance Rusty Jones to retirement

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts are losing a legend.

Rusty Jones, the man Chris Ballard coaxed out of retirement six seasons ago to be the team’s director of sports performance, is retiring at the age of 70.

He leaves an enormous legacy behind, a reputation forged over two decades in Buffalo, eight saeasons in Chicago and the past six in Indianapolis.

“Rusty is one of the most well-respected conditioning and nutrition experts in our industry,” Ballard said in a statement. “His energy and passion for sports nutrition is unmatched, and Rusty has helped numerous athletes in his career reach their full potential with his knowledge and guidance.”

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Players like former Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo.

When Jones arrived in Indianapolis in 2018, convinced by Ballard to come out of retirement after five years, Castonzo was dealing with knee pain that had plagued him for most of his career. Jones realized the real issue was Castonzo’s hips, a problem that led to weak hamstrings, and the left tackle credited Jones with prolonging his excellence at the end of his career.

Castonzo was only the latest in a long line of players. Jones, who spent the first 20 years of his career in Buffalo, was mentioned by Bills legends Bruce Smith and Jim Kelly in their Hall of Fame speeches, and he helped Brian Urlacher overcome injury issues early in his career in Chicago, where he met Ballard.

Ballard and Jones both believe a player’s ratio of lean mass and body fat is critical to their performance, and it has become a key component of player development in Indianapolis.

Jones has spent the past six seasons working with the Colts, even though he was diagnosed with lymphoma — and beat the cancer — during his first year with the organization.

In the world of NFL strength and conditioning, Jones is a legend, awarded the NFL Strength and Conditioning Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, during his first retirement.

But the time has come for him to step away again.

“He is one of the most authentic people I have come across in my career and the Colts were fortunate to have Rusty for the last six years,” Ballard said. “I’m excited for him to start the next chapter of his life with his wife, Sharon, and son, Tyler.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts lose director of sports performance Rusty Jones to retirement