The Indianapolis Colts are 2-0 for the first time since 2009, and they can thank Spencer Shrader for it.
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On Sunday in Denver, the rookie kicker nailed a 45-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Colts to a 29-28 victory over the Broncos. His moment of glory came only after missing a 60-yard attempt from midfield, a kick that looked to seal the team’s fate.
But when Denver’s Dondrea Tillman was flagged for leverage — vaulting off a teammate in an attempt to block the ball — Shrader got a second chance. From 15 yards closer, he drilled his fifth field goal of the afternoon, cementing his place as Indy’s early-season hero.
That kind of resilience fits Shrader’s story perfectly. Long before his NFL breakthrough, he built his identity on more than football. Instead of riding his leg into a college career straight away, Shrader pursued his first love: soccer. That passion led him to launch Shrader Athletics, a training company he co-founded with his sister Sophie, which now employs five staff and develops athletes across multiple sports.
His entrepreneurial spirit only grew after befriending a foreign exchange student whose father ran academies in Brazil, giving him a global lens on sports and business.
Since then, Shrader has diversified further, exploring IT and real estate ventures while maintaining his athletic career. He’s leaned on high-powered mentors like Tom Mendoza, the Notre Dame business school namesake, even seeking advice on how to hire a CFO.
Shrader’s off-the-field drive mirrors the forward-thinking approach of another Colts alumnus, Pat McAfee, a kicker and punter who transitioned into building The Pat McAfee Show into a media empire.
For Shrader, the parallels are striking. Both are Colts specialists who thrive under pressure, use the NFL as a platform rather than a destination, and both understand the value of building multiple revenue streams.
Sunday’s heroics proved Shrader can deliver in the clutch, but his broader journey suggests he’s just as determined to succeed in boardrooms as in stadiums. A kicker who never originally planned to be here, Shrader now feels destined for this moment, and for whatever bigger stages lie ahead, in football and far beyond.
