Sometimes the past errors do not write the future, and the Indianapolis Colts backed that belief with their 7th round pick from the recently concluded 2026 NFL Draft. Shane Steichen and the front office picked eight players from the draft, including two in the seventh round, but their second-to-last pick raised a lot of eyebrows due to his previous five-year-old felony. The newest addition to the Colts, Seth McGowan, recently shared his journey since the incident and how he has changed since.

“I had a brief season in my life where, unfortunately, I got away from (my values), and it cost me everything,” said Seth in an interview with James Boyd. “But ever since that day, I’ve done everything that I can with every fiber in my body to prove that that’s not who I am, and I will continue to be myself.”

While this was a big decision, GM of the Colts, Chris Ballard, made the pick based on his principles.

“Look, I’m a second-chance guy,” said Ballard.

His thriving football career hit an immediate roadblock following the incident, as he was expelled from the university. The legal proceedings forced him to miss four years of football. This was because no teams were showing interest, even when he was in the transfer portal because of his pending legal court battle.

He eventually built back his reputation at the Butler Community College in 2024, where his impressive show drove the FBS-level teams to take a look at him, eventually landing at New Mexico State and resuming his collegiate football career.

In the past two seasons, representing New Mexico and Kentucky, McGowan impressed and proved that he had worked on his issues off the field. In his returning season, the running back recorded a career-best 823 rushing yards in 12 games, while the following year with Duke saw him register 725 rushing yards and a remarkable 12 touchdowns in 11 games.

His time with the Colts will see him play behind Jonathan Taylor, who remains the RB1 of the Blue and White, while DJ Giddens plays as the primary backup. Considering his strong college resume, McGowan would be eager to back himself and silence his critics.

Seth McGowan is eager to prove the doubters wrong

Given Seth McGowan’s statistics from his collegiate career, he could have been a fifth or sixth-round pick if he had a clean record in personal life. The Minnesota Vikings hosted him for the Top-30 visit this month, while he also reportedly held talks with the Cowboys, as he is a Dallas native.

However, he finally landed with the Colts. Following the draft pick, the RB is determined to take the gridiron and silence critics if he is given a chance by Steichen in the 2026 campaign.

“Going this late in the draft was definitely unanticipated by many teams,” Seth said during the same interview. “But like I said, everything happens for a reason. And I’m just ready to make everybody pay that didn’t pick me.”

He was among the standout running backs in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, leading all the players with a 42.5-inch vertical jump. With 12 rushing touchdowns in his final season with Kentucky, his red-zone efficiency was productive, while his downhill running style could make him a threat for the defenders.

He is not the only one leaving a dark chapter behind before the NFL selection. The former Carolina Panthers QB and three-time Pro-Bowler, Cam Newton, was arrested three years before his draft selection in 2011 and went on to have a spectacular career.

Just a month before the 2008 NFL Draft, Carl Nicks was arrested, which affected his draft position, pushing him to the fifth round. But the former Saints star proved the doubters wrong, winning two Pro Bowl honors and a Super Bowl. Time will tell if Seth McGowan can pull off the same feat.