Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne fought through a rare case of cramps during his 13-catch, 212-yard effort Sunday. He hid it well considering the way he repeatedly torched the Green Bay Packers secondary.
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"I know I had to sacrifice my body to get it done for Chuck (Pagano)," Wayne told Yahoo Sports reporter Mike Silver. "I was cramping up on that last drive - I never cramp, but I was hurting pretty bad. But I had to give everything I had, because this was too important."
Reggie Wayne's career-day Sunday was six months in the making. The Colts star receiver assumed he'd be wearing a another jersey when a disgusting 2-14 campaign in 2011 mercifully ended. The organization was starting over with a new general manager, coach and quarterback. The roster was turned over, including saying goodbye to Peyton Manning and drafting Andrew Luck, and Wayne was a free agent.
Wayne, 33, told Silver that everything changed when Chuck Pagano, newly hired Colts coach and his former receivers coach at the University of Miami, called.
"I was at home in Miami getting ready for free agency, my kids running around, nothing but noise, when I saw a '317' number flash across my phone," Wayne said. "I answered it to see what was up. As soon as I heard the voice on the other line, I knew it was him. I've been knowing Chuck Pagano for a long time. This is beyond 'head coach.' This is family.
"I was telling him congratulations, yada, yada, yada, and he said, 'Hey, I can't do this without you. He told me, 'Take a leap of faith.' I've been knowing him for 16 years, and I knew I'd go balls to the wall for him, no matter what. I trusted him. That means a lot."
A call from owner Jim Irsay cemented his decision to stay at the discounted rate of three years, $17.5 million.
Those conversations led to Sunday's performance. The yardage was a career-high and he pulled in the game winning touchdown with 35 seconds left. It was classic Wayne with a one-handed catch, a third-and-12 leaping grab with a defender draped on his back and a dive for the game-winner.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
