Colts Explain Why They're Betting on a Former Criminal to Right His Wrongs

The Indianapolis Colts chose to bolster their running back room with their second-to-last draft pick, selecting Kentucky's Seth McGowan with the 237th overall pick.

The SEC back carved out a final statistical campaign and posted athletic testing scores (earned the NFL's 7th-highest athletic score among NFL Combine running back participants) worthy of NFL Draft consideration. McGowan (24) is one of the recent influx of older prospects that the newly-established NIL era has provided, and given that this regime is in no position to turn away any potential day-one contribution, his services ultimately landed in Indianapolis.

Though the Colts have star running back Jonathan Taylor leading the charge, the depth beyond him left a lot to be desired. As a result, Indianapolis drafted McGowan toward the end of the draft in an attempt to bolster said depth.

"Seth (McGowan) is a guy we've been watching here for a while. He had the incident when he was at Oklahoma, which we know, and we vetted hard. His relationship with our running back coach, our relationship with coaches at Kentucky and at New Mexico State. I've known the head coach at New Mexico State for a lot of years, and they all speak very highly of the young man and who he is and how he works, but he adds a real physical element at running back," Ballard said of Seth McGowan's prospect profile.

The incident in question refers to the offseason following McGowan's freshman season at Oklahoma, when he was arrested for robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in April 2021. McGowan spent three months in prison and a year on probation after he pleaded guilty to larceny, while the remaining charges were dropped.

McGowan's road back to Division 1 football required determination, and that's precisely how he operated. After being dismissed from Oklahoma's football team, he landed at Texas College, where he was only able to practice. In 2023, McGowan joined Butler Community College's team, where he saw his first game action since the incident, totaling 229 yards from scrimmage and scoring four rushing touchdowns in six games played.

Finally, McGowan found himself back in Division 1 football as a member of the New Mexico State Aggies. He would earn second-team All-Conference USA honors after leading his team with 823 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to pair with his 377 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 23 receptions.

This resurgence at New Mexico State landed him a spot on Kentucky's roster for his final collegiate season, one that he took full advantage of. McGowan carried the ball 165 times for 725 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and hauled in 19 receptions for 126 receiving yards in his lone season at Kentucky.

When asked more about the vetting process and whether he viewed McGowan's incident as a learning experience and nothing more, general manager Chris Ballard doubled down, saying that he's deserving of a second chance.

“I mean, look, I’m a second-chance guy. I mean, I just – like how long are you going to keep punishing him for it? To his credit, he's gone and – I don't know if he really wanted to leave New Mexico State, but I think just financially, he didn't have a choice," Ballard said, providing more insight on the vetting process in question.

"I mean, that's kind of what [NMSU HC] Tony (Sanchez) had said to me. He said, ‘Look, Chris (Ballard), he needed to go just because financially it was the best thing for him.’ So, he's had a good track record. Feel good about who he is as a – you learn your lesson. You make a mistake, you pay the price for it, and then you move on.”

As for McGowan, he understands the baggage and distractions that come with his troubled past. It was a serious incident, but one that he feels is a brief lapse of his values, and has resulted in a reputation that he's been working to repair ever since.

McGowan didn't shy away from this inevitable talking point throughout the pre-draft process, relaying to teams a similar sentiment along the way.

"I just wanted them to know that that's never who I was and who I've been my entire life," McGowan on what he told teams throughout the vetting process. 'I've always been a staple of my community. I've always believed in leading and guiding the youth, being a prime example of hard work and dedication."

"I had a brief season in my life where, unfortunately, I got away from that, and it cost me everything. Ever since that day, I've done everything I can with every fiber in my body to prove that that's not who I am, and that I will continue to be myself with the values that I instilled in myself since a very young age. And, you know, to trust in the relationships that I've built along the way, and to know that they can trust those people -- and me as well."

McGowan has been most focused on improving his reputation throughout the years, but now he's determined to prove people wrong about his late-round draft range. "I'm just ready to make everybody pay that didn't pick me," McGowan said in his post-draft media availability.

Naturally, Colts ownership is fully aware of McGowan's baggage as a prospect. Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon's post-selection draft call with McGowan echoed this understanding as she asked if he was ready to prove his doubters wrong.