Background

Peyton Manning was born on March 24, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is the second of three sons in a family of Archie Manning, a former professional football player, and Olivia Manning.

Education

It was no surprise, that Peyton Manning, a son of a legendary college and professional quarterback Archie Manning, was overwhelmed by football since his earliest days. While attending Isidore Newman High School, he also practiced basketball and baseball as well.

Peyton, the same as his two brothers, was never forced by his star father to play. The only help that Peyton Manning got from his dad was the lessons on how to watch and analyze film of NFL games. It probably had a certain contribution to Manning's goal consisting of becoming an excellent player. Peyton's achievements on a high school level were marked by two titles, Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player-of-the-Year and Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club National Offensive Player-of-the-Year.

Upon finishing high school, Manning received offers from around 60 colleges, including from the alma mater of his father, the University of Mississippi. Afraid of the possible suffocating impact of his father's legacy, the young player made choice in favor of the University of Tennessee where he became the starting quarterback in the Volunteers team trained by Phillip Fulmer. The hard work and practicing in meetings, the weight room and on the field didn't disturb academic achievements in the classroom.

The number of Manning's passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions was growing throughout the four seasons that he played for the Vols, and he constantly broke college passing records. By 1996, he was given the Sullivan Award as the country's top amateur athlete and became a finalist for the Davy O'Brien Award for best quarterback in the nation. Although his bachelor's degree in speech communication had been already completed with a 3.6 grade point average, he chose not to declare himself eligible for the NFL draft and preferred to stay in school for another year and take graduate classes.

Peyton Manning collected numerous awards during his senior year in college, including first-team All-American, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Best College Player ESPY award, among others. At the end of his collegiate career in 1998, Manning had at least 29 records to his credit.

Career

The start of Peyton Manning's career can be counted from 1998 when he was drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts. He signed a six-year $48 million contract. Although the Colts lost the first game with Manning in its core, to the Miami Dolphins, Manning proved himself an impressive professional quarterback.

After a mid-level rookie season which was as rich on records as on the lost games (13), Manning led the team in 1999 to the franchise's first division title since 1987. He continued to win and even topped the league in several offensive categories that pushed many to consider him as one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League. On his way of becoming a success, Manning was also active in the community. He gave motivational speeches, and in 1999, along with his wife-to-be, he set up the PeyBack Foundation aimed to support impoverished children and youth through assisting programs.

Throwing the yardage of 4,413 and having 33 touchdowns by the end of 2000, Manning became one of the top NFL's passers of the time. A new level was reached three years later when he became the only quarterback in the league who threw for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first six seasons as well as at least 25 touchdown passes in six seasons. He also reduced the quantity of his interceptions. The progress was marked by many awards, including the league's Most Valuable Player shared with Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans.

In the 2003 post-season, Manning led the Colts to participate in the AFC Championship Game, where the squad was defeated by the New England Patriots. The 49 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 121.1, both NFL records for a single season as of the time, brought him another MVP honor the next year.

Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to the AFC championship many times, but he was unable to reach the NFL's ultimate game, the Super Bowl, though his team was one of the competition's favorites. The situation changed in 2006 when the Colts finally gained their access to the Super Bowl taking over the New England Patriots. In the Super Bowl XLI, held in Miami, the Colts won the Chicago Bears by the score of 29-17. Another Super Bowl berth was earned the following post-season.

After leading the Colts to a 10th consecutive play-off berth in 2010, Peyton Manning underwent the neck surgery, and the rehabilitation period made him sit out the upcoming season. In March 2012, the quarterback left the Indianapolis Colts and entered the squad of the Denver Broncos signing a five-year deal with the team.

In Denver, Manning was immediately back to his previous form. He topped the NFL in completion percentage (68.6) while passing for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns. After reaching 13-3, its conference-best, the Broncos lost their opening play-off game in the post-season. Over the course of the 2013 season, the team scored a record 606 points, finishing with 13 wins and as the leader of the AFC. Manning gained his fifth MVP award. He led the Broncos to the Super Bowl, where they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks.

The following season ended up with 4,727 passing yards and 39 touchdowns for Manning while the Broncos had another play-off defeat, this time to Manning's former team, the Colts. In autumn 2015, Manning surpassed Brett Favre's record of 71,838 career passing yards despite some struggles. He was soon replaced as the team's starting quarterback because of injuries' consequences. He came back to the squad at the end of the season to lead the Broncos to a division title and one more Super Bowl, where the team won the Carolina Panthers and earned the franchise's first title in 17 years. On March 7, 2016, Peyton Manning announced his retirement from sport.

A year after retiring, Manning voiced one of the characters of the motion picture Ferdinand. He had previously guest-voiced one of The Simpsons' episodes as well. On July 12, 2017, Manning hosted the 2017 ESPY Awards.

The former quarterback has hosted and written the NFL version of Detail on ESPN+ and has been the presenter and executive producer of Peyton's Places aired on ESPN+ in 2019 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NFL. Peyton Manning goes on with commercials and various business partnerships.

Achievements

• 

  Peyton Manning went down in history of the National Football League as one of its most eminent quarterbacks. He managed to earn five NFL's Most Valuable Player titles, the all-time record number for any player, and to become one of the leaders in virtually every statistical passing category.
  
  He is a record-holder for the Pro Bowl appearances, 4,000-yard passing seasons, both fourteen, as well as single-season passing yards (5,477), and single-season passing touchdowns (55), both in 2013. Along with Sammy Baugh, he holds the record for the most first-team All-Pro selections for a quarterback - seven. By the time of his retirement from sport, Manning had 71,940 passing yards and 539 touchdowns in total, that is the third all-time record. He is also the only quarterback to have a victory in the Super Bowl with more than one franchise.
  
  In 2016, the legendary quarterback was elected to the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame and, a year later, to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor. He is also an inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2005, the Tennessee Volunteers retired Manning's number 16 to pay homage to its famed player, the same as the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos did later with his No. 18.
  
  One of the streets in Knoxville, Tennessee, which leads to the local Neyland Stadium, was renamed after Manning, Peyton Manning Pass. There is a bronze statue of Manning near Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The University of Tennessee established the Peyton Manning Scholarship which is offered to first-year students.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Manning: A Father, His Sons and a Football Legacy

    (The inspiring personal story of a family, an athletic tra...)

    2000

Religion

Peyton Manning has been a devoted Christian since the age of thirteen. He has claimed to pray every night and before every game.

Politics

Though Peyton Manning has never stated out loud his political preferences, some of his deeds seem to reflect his backing for the Republicans. The athlete has contributed about $8,000 to the representatives of the Republican Party, including Fred Thompson, Bob Corker, and the 43rd president of the United States George W. Bush. Manning supported Jeb Bush during the 2016 election campaign.

Views

Peyton Manning once stated that "...faith, family, friends, and football" are his major priorities.

Quotations: "Dad never really pushed us into football. He never really let us play it on the playground. He never worked with me, like one-on-one passing drills, until I was a freshman in high school. It was always a situation where I had to come to him, ask him if he wanted to go work out. He never pushed me into anything."

"One thing that can never be sacrificed is your preparation and your work ethic."

"You've got to look at the long haul, improve each week, each season. In time, the mistakes you make are going to even out."

"It goes without saying, winning against a good team in a hostile crowd on the road, it's just an absolutely huge win."

"One of the things about football is, it's a relationship business."

"It truly has been an honor to play in Indianapolis. I do love it here. I love the fans, and I will always enjoy having played for such a great team."

"Pressure is something you feel when you don't know what the hell you're doing."

"Life is not shrinking for me; it's morphing into a whole new world of possibilities."

"Imitation is obviously a great form of flattery."

"I guess, to tell you the truth, I've never had much of a desire to grow facial hair. I think I've managed to play quarterback just fine without a mustache."

"I get asked a lot about my legacy. For me, it's being a good teammate, having the respect of my teammates, having the respect of the coaches and players. That's important to me."

"I hope (and pray) I don't do too many things that displease Him before I get to Heaven myself. I believe, too, that life is much better and freer when you're committed to God in that way."

Membership

Peyton Manning, while studying at the University of Tennessee, was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and the Phi Beta Kappa.

• Omicron Delta Kappa , United States

• Phi Beta Kappa , United States

Personality

At the beginning of his athletic career, the rising star Peyton Manning was always ready to sign an autograph and carried pens wherever he went. Though he was a practical joker in the locker room and in the huddle as well as his team's leader, his public image was of a sometimes awkward, goody two-shoes. Such an amiable personality contributed to his demand among the commercial workers.

The legendary quarterback once named Vacation, Fletch, Stripes, Caddyshack, and The Jerk as his favorite movies.

Physical Characteristics: Peyton Manning is 1.96 meters tall. He is right-handed.

Quotes from others about the person

• Adam Meadows, former teammate: "From the first day, it was his huddle. Anyone who works as hard as he does gets respect."
  
  Jim Irsay, businessman, the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts: "To do the things Peyton's been doing week in and week out, it's kind of like when Bob Dylan comes along – you don't see someone like that very often."
  
  Jim Mora, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts: "You really don't know a guy until you coach him, and the first thing you see is he has a tremendous work ethic. He is always well-prepared."

Interests

• faith, family, friends

• Sport & Clubs

  American football

Connections

Peyton Manning was introduced to his wife-to-be, Ashley Thompson, before he entered college. Peyton and Ashley married on March, 17, 2001. The family produced two children, twins Marshall Williams and Mosley Thompson.

Father:

Archibald Elisha Manning

(born May 19, 1949)

Archibald Elisha Manning, best known as Archie Manning, competed in the National Football League as quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. He also played for the Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings during a 14-year career.

Mother:

Olivia Manning

(née Williams)

Olivia Manning came from Philadelphia, Mississippi. She met Archie during the University of Mississippi's Ole Miss Rebels football program.

After the marriage, Olivia got involved into charity and volunteer work in New Orleans. An active member of Women of the Storm, founded after Hurricane Katrina, Olivia Manning contributes to other organizations, such as the Junior League, the Red Cross and the American Heart Association. She took part in "Sentimental Journeys," the 1999 fundraiser of the Longue Vue House & Gardens, and chaired the 2013 Audubon Zoo's annual "Whitney Zoo-to-Do."

Brother:

Cooper Manning

(born March 6, 1974)

Cooper Manning served for the Scotia Howard Weil company as an energy trader. Nowadays, he hosts The Manning Hour TV show for Fox Sports and also works as Senior Managing Director of Investor Relations for Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners.

Brother:

Eli Manning

(born January 3, 1981)

Eli Manning, in full Elisha Nelson Manning IV, is a former American football quarterback. For 16 seasons, he competed in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He received the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award twice, in 2007 and 2011.

Wife:

Ashley Manning

(née Thompson; born December 9, 1974)

Ashley Manning has been very helpful and active in various charities along with her husband. In 1999, they set up the PeyBack Foundation aimed to support impoverished children and youth through assisting programs.

Daughter:

Mosley Thompson Manning

(born March 31, 2011)

Son:

Marshall Williams Manning

(born March 31, 2011)

colleague:

Jim Mora

(born May 24, 1935)

Jim Mora, in full James Earnest Mora, is a retired American football coach. He served as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints for 11 seasons and of the Indianapolis Colts for 4 seasons.

References

• Peyton Manning: The Football Legend This biography gives you the true story of Peyton's life, from his childhood all the way up to the end of his career, through his struggles and successes on the field to his amazing charitable works off of it as well.
  2016
• Peyton Manning: The Last Rodeo The book follows Manning's remarkable season with the Broncos on a wild ride to the championship game.
  2016
• The Mannings: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family A revealing portrait of the first family of American sports from Lars Anderson.
  2016
• Peyton Manning The short unauthorized biography of Peyton Manning by Clayton Geoffreys highlights the greatest moments of the footballer's career.
  2015
• Brady vs Manning: The Untold Story of the Rivalry That Transformed the NFL The definitive inside account of the greatest rivalry in NFL history from acclaimed sports journalist Gary Myers.
  2015
• Peyton Manning: A Quarterback for the Ages Through words and images, this book commemorates the career of one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play professional football. Jim Saccomano and Craig Kelley trace Peyton Manning's legendary career from his early years as a high school star in New Orleans to his standout seasons at the University of Tennessee.
  2016