Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard grew up in Texas City, Texas, a town of about 46,000 that's roughly 55 miles south of downtown Houston.
It was there that Ballard's stepfather ran a service station in what Ballard referred to as the "rougher part of town."
Ballard saw the mistakes that people made in the area. He also realized that mistakes are part of life. He carried that mindframe with him when coaching at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and during his 16-year NFL front office career, which is why he doesn’t rush to judgment when a potential draft prospect has dealt with off-the-field issues.