Barry Wilner - Peyton Manning: A Football Star Who Cares

A Football Star Who Cares...

Many people believe Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback ever to play pro football. He is the only four-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award and he did that in his first twelve NFL seasons. He has been to two Super Bowls and helped turn the Indianapolis Colts into one of the elite teams of pro football. Off the field, he helps out those in need through his PeyBack Foundation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barry Wilner is a professional sportswriter for the Associated Press. Other titles he has written for Enslow Publishers, Inc., include Football's Top 10 Running Backs and Football's Top 10 Quarterbacks.

Many people believe Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback ever to play pro football. He is the only four-time winner of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, and he did that in his first twelve NFL seasons.

Manning also has been to two Super Bowls, winning one. He has taken the Indianapolis Colts from the bottom of the league to the top, and the Colts won at least ten games every season from 2002 to 2009. He soon could hold every passing record in the sport.

Since he was picked at the very top of the NFL draft of college players in 1998, Manning has started every game. That has toughened his teammates, who say, If Peyton can play, I can play even when they have minor injuries.

Quarterback is the most important position on offense, and Mannings leadership makes him stand out. So does his sense of humor, and he can be seen in many TV ads and in such shows as Saturday Night Live.

When you watch Manning in a game, you will notice how different he is from other quarterbacks. He moves around behind his offensive line, yelling out plays, pointing at defenders, changing when the ball is to be snapped. But then, BINGO, he throws for another touchdown.

Manning comes from a family of star football players. His father, Archie, was one of the best college quarterbacks ever and then played thirteen seasons in the NFL. Peytons older brother, Cooper, was a receiver at the University of Mississippi until an injury ended his career. Youngest brother, Eli, also went to Ole Miss, and now quarterbacks the New York Giants. Eli Manning won the 2008 Super Bowljust one year after Peyton Manning won his first championship.

Peyton Manning had become known as a great quarterback who could not win the Big One. To join the very best who ever played, he needed a Super Bowl ring.

Winning the NFL championship is the best thing any player can do in pro football. In his first eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning had won eighty games, lost only forty-eight, and led his team to four division titles and six playoff appearances.

But they were only 36 in playoff games, and people began wondering if Manning would ever win it all.

Manning hands the ball off to teammate Joseph Addai for a running play against the Baltimore Ravens in their playoff game in January 2007.

To be considered a true success in football, you have to win a championship, maybe a few of them, Manning said. Thats how you are measured.

In 2005, the Colts had the NFLs best record, 142, but fell to Pittsburgh in their only playoff game. Making it worse for Manning, the Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl.

So when the 2006 season began, Manning and the Colts wanted to earn the Vince Lombardi Trophy that goes to the NFL champion.

Peyton led the Colts past his younger brother, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, in the season opener. They won their next eight games, too. They even beat the New England Patriots, who had won three Super Bowls in four years while Indy was searching for its first.

When the Colts lost four of their last seven contests, the doubters again were heard loud and clear. They said the Colts were a good team, but one that always fell short. They said the same thing about Manning.

Peyton Manning celebrates after leading the Colts on the game-winning drive against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game on January 21, 2007.

Then he won a playoff game against Kansas City. And another against Baltimore. In the AFC championship game, with the winner going to the Super Bowl, guess who stood in the Colts way? The Patriots. This time Manning would. This time, Manning would not let his team fail.

Head Coach Tony Dungy looks on as Manning raises the Lombardi Trophy after the Colts win the Super Bowl.

New England led 213 late in the first half before the Colts got a field goal. Manning then was unstoppable in the second half, three times leading Indy back into tie scores before guiding it to the winning touchdown. The Colts scored 32 points in the second half to win 3834and head to their first Super Bowl.

That second half was as great as anyone can play, teammate Reggie Wayne said of Manning.

There was more to come. Many players in their first Super Bowl might be nervous, unable to focus on the game. With all the attention on Manning, could he answer the critics?

You bet.

Manning was the MVP of the Super Bowl XLI win over Chicago, throwing for 247 yards and a touchdown in the rain. When he was handed the Lombardi Trophy, it looked like Peyton Manning would never let it go.

When Peyton Manning was growing up in New Orleans, his was not yet the First Family of Quarterbacks. Sure, his father, Archie, was an All-American at the University of Mississippi and then an NFL star with the Saints.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning looks to make a pass during a game against the Los Angeles Rams in November 1973.

Someday, Peyton believed, he might be able to do a few of the things his father did.

From the beginning, Peyton had a strong drive to be a winner. Archie likes to tell the story about driving his son home from a T-ball game Peytons team lost. His coach always told his young players that the games ended in a tie.

Dad, Peyton said to Archie, the coach must think were pretty stupid.

Peyton was not going to be the first young Manning to follow Archies path, though. His brother Cooper was two years older and would beat Peyton at most everything when they were young. All of the Manning boysEli is five years younger than Peytonwere very good students and close friends as well as brothers, but, well, boys will be boys, and there was a rivalry between Cooper and Peyton.

Peyton liked to tell on Cooper, like, Mommy, Cooper did so and so, his mom, Olivia, said.

What Cooper did was play quarterback in elementary school; Peyton was the team manager until he was old enough to play. By high school, Cooper had become a wide receiver at Isidore Newman School. Why the switch?