Watching your favorite NFL team play might boost a football fan’s adrenaline.
But a Columbus man and his two adult sons got far more out of their shared professional football experience Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Thomas “Hank” Mueller, Jr. — along with sons Bryce Mueller, 31, and Daylan Mueller, 28 — were given the honor of helping hold up the field-size American flag during a ceremony prior to the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Hank Mueller’s father, Tom Mueller Sr., has purchased season tickets for himself and his family ever since the Colts first came to Indianapolis in March 1984.
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As Colts season ticket holders, the Muellers received an email invitation to participate in Monday’s pre-game ceremony, Hank Mueller said.
But since the email stated that only the first 300 season ticket holders to accept the invitation would be allowed to participate, Mueller said there was no time for family discussions.
“I made the executive decision to accept, and later told my sons,” Hank Mueller said. “Luckily, they were also very excited about the opportunity.”
But the three men, who all work as financial advisors, initially had no idea how much planning and preparation goes into these types of ceremonies, Hank Mueller said.
For example, all 300 participants had to arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium by 3:15 p.m. Monday and rehearse until 4:30 p.m., he said.
From the length of time waiting in the tunnels to the moment they moved to the sidelines, every detail was carefully choreographed and timed to ensure no unexpected surprises ended up on national television, Hank Mueller said.
Two-and-a-half hours after practice ended, all participants had to be back in the stadium no later than 7 p.m., one hour before kickoff, he said.
During the ceremony, the toughest assignment was ensuring that at least half of the 50-yards-deep American flag was completely off the field 30 seconds after the ceremony ended, in order for clear enough space for the televised coin toss, he said.
But what took the family by surprise were the emotions they felt while looking at the military personnel present as the national anthem played.
“I got the cold chills,” Hank Mueller said. “It’s hard to describe, but it was just amazing. It was a moment we will all remember.”
Bryce Mueller said the experience stirred his sense of patriotism.
“By holding the flag, we were all representing the United States of America,” Bryce Mueller said. “It made me excited for the future. It made me just want to support both the U.S. and the Colts more.”
Being a part of the ceremony did not provide any opportunities for one-on-one exchanges with individual Colts players, Hank Mueller said. Nor was the family given a view of the game any better than the street-level seats the Muellers already have reserved in the southeast corner of the stadium.
But the ceremony wasn’t about them or the Colts. Instead, it was about honoring the military men and women who protect and serve their country every day, he said.
“And that is awesome,” Hank Mueller said.
