INDIANAPOLIS — Blue is the best once again.
The Indianapolis Colts mascot, "Blue," was named NFL Mascot of the Year for the third time, the team announced Monday. The beloved mascot also won the award, which is voted on by fellow mascots, in 2016 and 2019.
(NOTE: The video in the player above is from a March 2022 appearance by Blue on 13Sunrise to unveil his new Build-A-Bear doll.)
That wasn't the only award Blue picked up at the NFL Mascot Summit. He was also honored with his third Anchor in the Community award for his impact on the central Indiana community.
According to the Colts, Blue makes 300 performances each year, including 125 free school shows, sharing important messages with schoolchildren, and supporting what they're learning in the classroom.
This year, Blue teamed up with family and friends to provide Christmas for 12 families in need, and became the face of the Indiana Donor Network and the Indiana Blood Center.
He also worked in partnership with the Irsay family's "Kicking the Stigma" campaign to create "21 Days of Kindness," which included buying shoes for families in need, delivering food to teachers and students during Hispanic Heritage Month and buying gas and groceries for unsuspecting shoppers.
Blue completed the trifecta with Social Media of the Year honors after increasing his social following by nearly 20 percent over the past year. The Colts mascot currently has 8 milllion followers on TikTok, among the most in North American sports, the Colts said.
Blue made his debut on Sept. 17, 2006 and was inducted in the National Mascot Hall of Fame in 2020.