Derek Schultz: Hicks becomes film star

On the precipice of his eighth season covering the Indianapolis Colts, Zach Hicks is preparing to make his annual pilgrimage to Westfield for the team’s training camp later this month.

Unlike those covering the team from Indianapolis or the surrounding doughnut counties, Hicks has a true road trip ahead of him. Residing in southwestern Virginia, he’ll trek almost 500 miles to cover the team in-person. But that journey is eclipsed several times over by the one he has trekked in his unique professional niche.

Hicks’ gig studying the Colts spawned from a random request based on a childhood friendship. His beginnings as a football blogger led to internet fame via the Locked On Colts podcast and as a football analyst for Sports Illustrated.

“I’ve had people shout from the stands [in Westfield] and be like, ‘Hey, Zach! What’s up?’” said Hicks, who has covered the Colts in some capacity since 2018. “I appreciate it, but I’m just a dude.”

That’s an understatement. Hicks’ profile within football circles in Indianapolis has certainly risen above “just a dude” over the past several years. He has built strong connections with pro players and garnered respect from coaches and lifers in the sport—all while developing an impressive social media following among fans. The 28-year-old is now a recognized face and voice in a crowded Colts media space.

But where exactly did this dude come from, why did he get hitched to the Colts, and how is he living the dream of every football nerd? (That’s “nerd” meant in a complimentary way.)

An improbable story

For someone who lives in an entirely different region of the country and began his journey with no formal football or traditional journalism training or experience, Hicks has a story that seems improbable.

His unorthodox path started seven Julys ago. At that time, Hicks, then 21, was already pursuing his football writing dream for Pro Football Spot and Breaking Football, platforms that were also origin points for notable NFL media names like ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Ben Solak.

Hicks was familiar with the Colts because he had a close friend who was a big fan of the team. He was asked to write about Indianapolis leading into Frank Reich’s first season as head coach. That initial article caught the attention of Matt Danely, who was part of the team running Stampede Blue, a Colts-centric blog on SB Nation.

“At a time in sports writing where so many were given voices by regurgitating other’s takes, Zach was interesting, thorough and smart,” Danely remembers. “Adding that sort of natural talent and work ethic, I knew Zach would, in short order, become a trusted voice and add to our coverage.”

Fulfilling Danely’s prophesy, Hicks’ role at Stampede Blue grew, especially thanks to his “film room” features, which were a more comprehensive look at individual Colts’ players and potential acquisitions through an All-22 (a.k.a. coaches’ film) analysis lens. That filled a void for Colts’ fans, as in-depth film content from experts was still rather sparse at that time. Hicks saw the initial response and immersed himself even further into his newfound craft.

“I kept saying to myself, ‘What more can I study?’ and ‘What more can I read?’” said Hicks, “[Studying film] became an obsession for me.”

Connecting with actual football coaches and players helped fine-tune Hicks’ expertise, and he continued to regularly contribute to Stampede Blue through the up-and-down Colts’ campaigns under Reich. He even started making the trip to Indy for training camp practices from Virginia as a credentialed media member, eventually linking up with an old friend, Jake Arthur, a former Colts.com writer who had originally connected with Hicks back in their Pro Football Spot days.

Moving to podcast

The duo supplemented their written Colts’ coverage with podcasting, first with the Bleav network before eventually transitioning to the Locked On Podcast platform, where they currently host and have teamed up for the last several seasons. When you search “Colts podcast” on Google, “Locked On Colts” is the first result—even before the team’s podcast—and the show has amassed a robust listenership and nearly a five-figure following on YouTube.

“As a teenager, Zach was doing more advanced [football] things than me in my 20s,” said Arthur, a Colts’ media vet who is also a member of the Pro Football Writers Association of America. “There have always been draft nerds in the fanbase, but he took his knowledge in that department and added it to his talents for film study to create something fans really appreciate.”

“He can speak the language with actual NFL personnel, but he makes it easy to understand,” added Arthur. “He makes fans smarter.”

Breaking down NFL film is not unique by itself, as there are many who take a shot at it on sites and platforms across the digital universe. But Hicks’ ability to fully understand what he’s seeing and describe it in a digestible way to novices is what makes him stand out. Despite no collegiate or professional football playing or coaching experience, he’s earned the respect of players and coaches on both levels—including perhaps the biggest film guru in town, Colts radio color commentator Rick Venturi.

“A lot of people can give you the buzz words, but he’s developed a deep understanding for the nuances of the game,” said Venturi, who coached in the NFL for 27 seasons. “You can look at some of the clips he puts up there and you can tell he really studies the game, and I respect that tremendously.”

Not a cheerleader

The homework on prospects that Hicks and Arthur do leading up to the annual NFL Draft is so thorough that the duo has often accurately predicted several Colts’ selections each year. Hicks’ “Build a Ballard” series for Sports Illustrated (the evolution of his film room features from years ago at Stampede Blue) dives into prospect film with the lens of past tendencies from the Colts’ brain trust. Having a general manager like Chris Ballard who stays employed for nine straight years might make that job easier, but properly forecasting an unpredictable process is impressive nonetheless.

Speaking of Ballard, Hicks is unafraid when it comes to giving his honest takes on polarizing Colts figures and topics. His time around the team has been a tumultuous one for the franchise, with front office decisions, coaching philosophies and quarterback personnel all in constant flux. Whether it be Carson Wentz’s or Anthony Richardson’s volatile play, Zaire Franklin’s social media or podcast commentary, or even the sometimes off-the-cuff decision-making of the late Jim Irsay, Hicks has never been afraid to tell you exactly what he thinks.

“He’s not a cheerleader,” Venturi said. “He doesn’t always buy the spin that comes out of coaching staffs, and he’s always been able to see right through that.”

That doesn’t mean that he is always right—no NFL pundit is—but his opinions always come from an informed and genuine place.

With eight seasons around the Colts under his belt and over a decade in the NFL grind, Hicks, who has also held a job in retail for the entirety of his media career, is just now at the point where he says he can make football his full-time profession.

“There were some weeks where it was 65 or 70 [combined] hours,” Hicks said. “It’s just the nature of this industry where you’re working and working just to bring home an income with this [dream]. But all that feels like it’s paid off, because I’m where I want to be.”•

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From Peyton Manning’s peak with the Colts to the Pacers’ most recent roster makeover, Schultz has talked about it all as a sports personality in Indianapolis for more than 15 years. Besides his written work with IBJ, he’s active in podcasting and show hosting. You can follow him on X @Schultz975.