Stephen Holder

IndyStar

Peyton Manning is long gone. Reggie Wayne is, too. The connections to the Colts' recent past had virtually all left the building.

But for one.

Clyde Christensen, who joined the Colts with coach Tony Dungy in 2002 as an assistant coach, had survived all the comings and goings in the years since. But, now, 14 years later, Christensen finally has decided his time has come. After serving as quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis for the past four seasons and in a variety of roles prior to that, he departs for South Florida on Wednesday where he'll begin a new chapter as the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator under new coach Adam Gase.

As a result, his emotions have been all over the place this week.

"I always saw myself finishing my career here," Christensen, 59, said Tuesday, after cleaning out his office at Colts headquarters.

"I just feel the timing was right. Andrew (Luck) is in a great place. Chuck (Pagano) has a new contract and he's going to be here. I really do love everything about my job. I don't have a great answer. But it was a really, really tough decision."

You can ask Christensen to narrow down the list of things he'll remember most fondly, but don't expect him to succeed. There's just too much from which to choose.

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"There's been so much joy," he said. "I'll remember the quality people. Seeing Peyton grow up. Watching Andrew the past few years. I'll remember the Super Bowl and watching (Dungy) hoist that trophy after all he went through with his family. Those are the memories I'll never forget. I'll remember all those young kids with disabilities who came to practice over the years, the look in their eyes. And, then, for coaches, it's just so rewarding to see guys grow into men."

The presence of Luck, to whom Christensen had grown very close, made leaving a more difficult proposition. Luck is coming off the toughest year of his football career, missing nine games with shoulder and kidney injuries and watching his team miss the playoffs for the first time. But Christensen is adamant Luck will be better for having been through the 2015 season.

Sitting out allowed Luck, Christensen said, to see the game from a different perspective. And to ensure that Luck made good use of his down time, Christensen assigned Luck a number of thought-provoking "projects" aimed at aiding his development. Most involved studying certain opponents on film or various types of defenses.

"We made a point to emphasize that this would not be a wasted year," Christensen said. "I look at it like this was the last year of undergrad work for him. He'd experienced everything but a physical injury. So, this was an important year. Anyone who thinks this year didn't help him just doesn't understand. He learned so much. One of Peyton's key years was the year he was hurt. He grew as a husband and a family man and teammate. This year will propel Andrew."

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The growth for Luck, Christensen said, will help him gain a better command of what, specifically, defenses are trying to do to stop the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

"(The offense) has to become yours," Christensen said. "It's not just about what the play caller calls. When you really understand all that, that's the mark of a great player."

With his work in Indianapolis done, Christensen looks ahead to a new challenge with Miami. He looks forward to working with Gase, who, at times, turned to Christensen for advice in his initial days working with Manning while Gase was the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator. But the transition is still difficult, the decision still heart-wrenching. One of the last links to the Colts' past is gone.

"It's been a sad couple of days," Christensen said. "But there is something energizing about this, too. It's going to be fun. I can't wait."

Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

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