INDIANAPOLIS — Seth Irskens went to bed humming “This is Our God” by Phil Wickham, a day after his church played the song during a Sunday service in Fall 2023. The next morning, Irskens woke up singing, “This is our Colts. This is our team. We love them,” following the same cadence of Wickham’s hit song.

Irskens, a longtime Indianapolis Colts fan, published his rendition on his YouTube channel. He called it the “Colts Anthem.”

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“It’s like something planting a seed right there and I thought, ‘I guess good ideas come from the bed at times,’” Irskens said. “It’s kind of like a miracle, and then next thing you know, my fame shot up.”

As a result of the song, Irskens was named the 2024 Indianapolis Colts Fan of the Year, made an appearance on the Pat McAfee show, and was awarded tickets to the 2025 Super Bowl. Little did Irskens know that when he began watching the Colts in 2003 after school friends introduced him to the team, his fandom would lead to fame.

However, Irsken’s ascent to becoming the “Colts Guy” has encountered challenges.

Irskens is on the autism spectrum and isn’t able to attend many Colts games. Due to autism, Irskens experiences an increased sense of anxiety during close games or when he hears about trade news. Viewers sometimes leave rude comments about Irsken’s autism under his Colts’ social media content.

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”To be a super fan is exciting and thrilling, but to go through all the negative stuff while you have autism is challenging because there’s anxiety (and) sometimes a lot of hurtful comments that you see on social media,” Irskens said. “But hopefully, I can look at the more positive comments and say, ‘Despite the haters, everyone loves the Colts guy.’”

To suppress the hurt, Irskens also reminds himself that the people commenting are “haters.” He bypasses their remarks with a “whatever,” a word his mom used when somebody made mean statements. Irsken’s mother, Rhonda, passed away in 2013 after battling cancer. His father, Tyge, died in 2000.

Irsken’s brother, Nate, said their family grew up loving the same things Rhonda did: football and the Lord. Irskens still remembers belly bumping his mother after the Colts defeated the Bears in the 2007 Super Bowl.

Experiencing loss in his own family made it easier for Irskens to empathize with the family of late Colts owner Jim Irsay. Irsay owned the Colts for 28 years until his passing in May 2025.

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“When the Irsay family had a loss, it struck a chord in me. I was thinking, ‘I’ve been through your loss before,’” Irskens said. “In a way, like my mom and dad meant to me, Jim Irsay is the father to our Colts, and I’m glad he passed on his legacy to his daughters. Hopefully, they do the right things to win.”

The Colts last made the playoffs in 2021 and have had only two postseason appearances in the past decade. Irskens labelled himself a “firm believer” and has faith that the Colts will make the playoffs this year, whether they start Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard at quarterback.

Irskens doesn’t keep his belief to himself. He enjoys debating the Colts’ potential with his friends who support other NFL teams. Irskens has worked at his local McDonald’s for 11 years and there’s rarely a shift where he doesn’t discuss the Colts with store general manager Andy Cole. Irskens updates his boss on roster changes and sends him Colts news on Facebook when he’s not at work.

”Seth is so positive and it’s a blast to work with him. Every day, he comes in and we talk about Colts training camp,” Cole said. “It’s a joy to have him around. I’ll do anything for Seth.”

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The “Colts Anthem” made Irskens famous. But his personality made him loved. That’s why it’s common for Colts fans to stop Irskens for pictures and autographs when he leaves his Greenwood home and travels to downtown Indianapolis.

”Before the ‘Colts Anthem’ he didn’t get as much joy from anything except watching the Colts,” Nate said. “Now, he’s part of the Colts and that makes me so proud to be his brother.”

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Irskens said supporting the Colts is “worth the ride” and acknowledged that he’s experienced the “highs and lows of being a Colts fan.” The value of Irsken’s fandom isn’t found in the notoriety that comes with it, but rather in the inspiration it offers.

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“My fame and fandom mean a lot because after watching all the games for many years, going through the evolution of it all, all the growing pains and quarterback changes, I inspired my team to get pumped up whether we win or lose,” Irskens said.

No matter how the Colts perform this year and in the ones to follow, three things are certain: These are Irsken’s Colts. This is Irsken’s team. And he won’t stop loving them.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts 2024 Fan of the Year Seth Irskens discusses Colts Anthem, autism