Chris Ballard on drafting Seth McGowan despite legal history: "I'm a second chance guy"

When Seth McGowan was a freshman running back at Oklahoma in 2020, he was arrested for stealing marijuana, jewelry and cash, pleaded guilty, served three months in jail, and was kicked off the team. McGowan wouldn't play college football again until 2023, then played for three schools in three seasons before the Colts drafted him last week.

Colts General Manager Chris Ballard says he believes McGowan's checkered past is behind him, and the team is confident in giving him a chance in the NFL.

"I'm a second chance guy," Ballard said. "How long do you keep punishing him for it?"

After leaving Oklahoma, McGowan spent time at Texas College but never played a game there, then went to Butler Community College in 2023 and returned to the football field, then transferred to New Mexico State in 2024 and transferred again to Kentucky in 2025. Ballard said he knows all about McGowan's history.

"Seth is a guy we've been watching for a while," Ballard said. "He had the incident when he was at Oklahoma which we know and we vetted hard. His relationship with our running back coach, our relationship with coaches at Kentucky and at New Mexico State — I've known the head coach at New Mexico State for a lot of years — and they all they all speak very highly of the young man and who he is and how he works."

Ballard said his friendship with New Mexico State head coach Tony Sanchez contributed to his confidence in McGowan.

"I don't know if he really wanted to leave New Mexico State, but just financially it was so he didn't have a choice," Ballard said. "That's kind of what Tony had said to me. He said, 'Look, Chris, he needed to go just 'cause financially it was the best thing for him.' So, you know, he's had a good track record. Feel good about who he is as you learn your lesson, you make a mistake, you pay the price for it, and then you move on."