At an emotional press conference on March 7, Peyton Manning announced his retirement from the NFL and professional football. The full video of the press conference can be found here. There was a lot of stuttering, choking up, goosebumps, and tears. And that was just from me watching the video. Seriously, though, the first 11 minutes are worth the watch.
Moving forward, I am coming to terms with the reality of watching an NFL that no longer has Peyton Manning as a starting quarterback. Aside from one injury year, I have never watched a full season of NFL football without Manning's presence on the field. The first Super Bowl I ever saw was the San Francisco 49ers victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, completing the 1994 season. In subsequent years, I remember the Super Bowl games themselves (Larry Brown as MVP for the Cowboys over the Steelers, Desmond Howard's kick return in Packers over Patriots, John Elway's helicopter into the endzone in Broncos over Packers) but not their regular seasons. The first full season I paid attention to coincided with the year I began my fantasy football-playing career, during the 1998 season and my 8th-grade year in school. That year, Denver's Terrell Davis earned the MVP award as he ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns; Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss led the Minnesota Vikings to a league-leading 15-1 record; and a highly-touted, first-year QB out of Tennessee set a league rookie-record by throwing 26 interceptions for the 3-13 Indianapolis Colts.
Acknowledging Peyton Manning's accomplishments first begins by listing his incredible statistical records. He is the NFL's all-time leader in:
-Passing Touchdowns, Career (539)-Passing Touchdowns, Season (55)
-Passing Touchdowns, Game (7, tied)
-Passing Yards, Career (71,940)
-Passing Yards, Season (5,477)
-4,000 Yard seasons (14)
-NFL MVP Awards (5)
-Wins, including playoffs (200)
There are many other random, abstract categories one could come up with, but those should provide a basic understanding of his impact on the game from a production standpoint.
As for his impact as a person, here are some reactions from players:
"Not only was Peyton a great teammate, but he is an even better man of faith. He instilled in all of his teammates that if you want something done, you have to set your dreams high and do each action to get there like it's your last. Thank you." -Demarcus Ware
"Love playing against Peyton, one of the best QBs ever, made teammates better! Peyton had his offense playing perfect football! Enjoy." -Ed Reed
"It's bitter sweet to say goodbye to you Peyton! You made such a big impression on my life. So much so, that we named our first born after you. Selfishly, I'm mad I didn't get to live out my dream of picking you off for a TD in the Super Bowl, but, I will take with me the memories growing up watching you pick apart defenses and making all of our heads spin with your pre-snap adjustments. All with class! So thank you. Most importantly, thank you for showing me that to be successful in the NFL, preparation and being humble must come first!" -Patrick Peterson
"I am grateful to have shared the field in your last game but most importantly I am grateful to have mimicked a style you created to bring out the best in me! And that style is/was mastering the art of: preparation. You have changed this game in ways you will never know and I admire the man you are on and off the field. You set the bar high... Extremely high and knowing your family, I know that's just the norm. I came into this league gauging and still gauging my talents to this day off of the things that you have done and accomplished; because you are and you will forever be the standard! So long Sherriff!" -Cam Newton
"Congratulations Peyton, on an incredible career. You changed the game forever and made everyone around you better. It's been an honor." -Tom Brady
Cam Newton and Tom Brady are elite and all-time great, respectively, quarterbacks who know what it takes to compete and excel at the highest level, on the grandest stages of the game. Patrick Peterson, Ed Reed and Demarcus Ware are current and retired players who are/were regarded as the best at their positions on the defensive side of the ball. So they've stood across the line of scrimmage (Ware during his time on the Cowboys), doing everything in their power to limit Manning's performance against them. All of these quotes came via their own personal social media accounts. They were not interviewed or asked directly by media personnel. It takes a special kind of individual to elicit these unsolicited reactions from colleagues and opponents. Peyton is that kind of individual.
Peyton Manning is also the kind of individual who has the unique ability to effortlessly crossover to other mediums of entertainment. His performance on Saturday Night Live is legendary. Not because he's an amazing comedian, because he most assuredly does not fall into that category. Athletes generally make for less-than bearable entertainers. More frequent are performances like Shaq in Kazaam, Dan Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Michael Jordan in Space Jam. Less frequent are Ray Allen in He Got Game, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane. Or maybe all of those are of equal quality. Your call. In Peyton's case, his comedic timing is near-flawless. He can gauge his surroundings and produce the right line with the right tone at the right moment to create a memorable scene. Even in situations that are as clearly produced and manufactured as television commercials. His series of Mastercard commercials are, for lack of a better word, priceless. From chanting "Cut That Meat" at a deli worker, to asking a bag boy, "Can You Sign My Melon?"; assuring his hired help that onlookers are encouraging ("They're Saying Mooooo-vers"), to turning hotel-worker vitriol into humor ("Getting a Massage Today"), Peyton delivers the goods every time. As for his afore-mentioned appearance on SNL, this United Way spoof will be his lasting cinematic legacy. And most recently, though certainly not the last line of marketing he'll pull off, professing the virtues of chicken parmesan via Nationwide Insurance.
Back to the real stuff. The Peyton Manning who became known as The Sheriff. The field generalwho controlled every aspect of the offense. The competitor who refused to miss a snap, regardless of what the game situation called for. The overseer at the line of scrimmage who barked out observations, orders and audibles, utilizing every possible second of the play clock before allowing the play to commence. Not a single moment of an Indianapolis Colt or Denver Bronco offensive play was missing Manning's fingerprint. He was the single most-prepared individual on the field at any given moment. His work ethic was unparalleled, spending hour after hour during offseasons getting in reps with his receivers, leaving no room for error in the timing of their routes and when and where the football would be delivered. His connections with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are legendary, and are what every teammate relationship should strive for.
He may not have been the most athletic quarterback in history. He will not have won the most Super Bowls, and most likely will not be regarded as the best quarterback the game has ever seen. But if there were ever an athlete I would want to model my competitive career after and influence others to do the same, it is Peyton Manning. The game may not lose him altogether, as he will likely be involved in coaching, broadcasting, analysis, or team management/ownership in some way or another. But his presence and value on the field will never be forgotten. Least of all by me. Goodbye, Peyton. Thank you.
