Who is Peyton Williams Manning? Peyton is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). One of only four three-time NFL MVPs, he is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all time.[1][2] He previously played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Manning was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998.[3] He is the son of former NFL quarterback 
Archie Manning and the older brother of current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most total seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career.[4][5] Among active NFL QB's, Manning has the highest career passer rating with a rating of 94.7 and ranks second all-time. (Steve Young ranks first with 96.8.[6]) He is also the all-time career passing yards and passing touchdowns leader for the Colts franchise.[7]
Since the Colts drafted Manning in 1998, the team has the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%) and 4th down (61.1%) plays out of every team in the league. While leading the Colts all the way to their Super Bowl XLI victory in 2006, Manning and the Colts set a NFL record by converting 56.1% of their 3rd downs in the regular season.[8]
Manning is well-known for his pre-snap routine, as the Colts prefer to have him call plays at the line of scrimmage, accompanied with numerous hand gestures.[9]
Having become the NFL's most marketable player, Manning has appeared in numerous commercials, was featured on the covers of the NFL Fever games for the Xbox, and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.[10][11][12]
Archie Manning and the older brother of current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most total seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career.[4][5] Among active NFL QB's, Manning has the highest career passer rating with a rating of 94.7 and ranks second all-time. (Steve Young ranks first with 96.8.[6]) He is also the all-time career passing yards and passing touchdowns leader for the Colts franchise.[7]
Since the Colts drafted Manning in 1998, the team has the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%) and 4th down (61.1%) plays out of every team in the league. While leading the Colts all the way to their Super Bowl XLI victory in 2006, Manning and the Colts set a NFL record by converting 56.1% of their 3rd downs in the regular season.[8]
Manning is well-known for his pre-snap routine, as the Colts prefer to have him call plays at the line of scrimmage, accompanied with numerous hand gestures.[9]
Having become the NFL's most marketable player, Manning has appeared in numerous commercials, was featured on the covers of the NFL Fever games for the Xbox, and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.[10][11][12]
Manning was born March 24, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Archie and Olivia Manning, the second of three boys. At Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, Manning was the team's principal starter for three seasons. He finished his high school career with 7,207 passing yards and 92 touchdowns. During that time, his team won all but five of 39 games.[13] In addition to football, Manning was the baseball team's starting shortstop and played basketball for two years.[14]
In his sophomore year, Manning's team went 8–2 in the regular season and made it to the state semifinals, equaling the school's best season.[15] The following year, they went 11–2 and advanced to the state quarterfinals, with Manning throwing 30 touchdown passes.[16] As a senior, his team won all ten of their regular season games. Manning passed for over 2,500 yards and 39 touchdowns and won the award for the national Gatorade Player of the Year.[17] Isidore Newman lost in the second round of the play-offs with Manning throwing for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns.[18]
Manning stunned many when he chose to attend the University of Tennessee instead of Ole Miss, his father's alma mater.[19] He became Tennessee's all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns and won 39 of 45 games as a starter, breaking the Southeastern Conference (SEC) record for career wins.[20][21]
As a freshman, Manning was the third-string quarterback, but injuries to Todd Helton and Jerry Colquitt forced him to take over the Mississippi State game, a 24–21 loss. In his first start, the following week against Washington State, the Vols won, 10–9, and the Vols won all but one of their remaining games, finishing the season 8–4 with a 45–23 victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.[22][23][24]
Manning and the Vols started off the 1995 season with victories over East Carolina and Georgia, before heading off to Gainesville to play the Gators.[25] Against Florida, he threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Vols to a 30–21 halftime lead. However, the Gators outscored the Vols 41–7 in the second half, winning 62–37.[26] This would be the Vols' only loss of the season, as they won their remaining 8 regular season games, including a 41–14 win over Alabama and then defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl.[27][28] The Vols ended the season ranked third and Manning came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.[29]
The Vols opened the 1996 season ranked second behind Nebraska and one of the favorites to win the national championship.[30] However, after winning their first two games against UNLV and UCLA, the Vols again lost to Florida, 35–29, with Manning throwing four interceptions.[31] After winning their next four games, the Vols were upset by Memphis, despite Manning passing for 296 yards.[32] The Vols won the remainder of their games, including a 48–28 win in the Citrus Bowl over Northwestern, a game in which Manning passed for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns; he was named the game's MVP.[33][34]
Manning completed his degree in three years, and was projected to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft, but returned to Tennessee for his senior year.[35] In his senior season, the Vols opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA, but for the third time in his career, Manning fell to Florida, 33–20.[36][37][38] The Vols won the rest of their regular season games, finishing 10–1, and advanced to the SEC Championship game against Auburn. Down 20–7, Manning led the Vols to a 30–29 victory. Throwing for 4 touchdowns, he was named the game's MVP, but injured himself in the process.[39][40] The 3rd-ranked Vols were matched-up with 2nd-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl; if Tennessee won and top-ranked Michigan lost to Washington State in the Rose Bowl, the Vols would win the national championship.[41] However, the Vols' defense could not stop Nebraska's rushing attack, giving up over 400 rushing yards in a 42–17 loss.[42] As a senior, Manning won numerous awards; he was a consensus first-team All-American, the Maxwell Award winner, the Davey O'Brien Award winner, the Johnny Unitas Award winner, and the Best College Player ESPY Award winner, among others; however, he did not win the Heisman, finishing runner-up to Charles Woodson.[43][44][45] In 2005, Tennessee retired Manning's number (#16).[46] One of the streets leading to Neyland Stadium has been re-named Peyton Manning Pass.
In 1996, while he was still quarterback at the University of Tennessee, Manning was involoved in an incident where he allegedly "dropped his pants in front of (female assistant athletic trainer) Jamie Ann Naughright". TheSmokingGun.com reports this incident as being a "mooning" gone awry and not sexual in nature.[47] In 2003, The University of Tennessee chose to settle the lawsuit with Naughright (then named Jamie Whited) for $300,000. When Manning signed with the Colts, he donated $300,000 to the Tennessee athletic department to cover this cost.[48]
Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.[3] In his rookie season, he passed for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns, set five different NFL rookie records, including most touchdown passes in a season, and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team.[49][50][51] Manning's first win came against fellow rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf, 17–12 over the Chargers.[52] Weeks later, Manning faced off against Steve Young; he threw three touchdowns, tying a Colts rookie record, but the 49ers kicked a late field goal to win, 34–31.[53] In November against the Jets, Manning threw for three touchdowns in a 24–23 win; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. It was the first game-winning drive of Manning's career, as he hit Marcus Pollard with the game-winning TD pass.[54][50] The Colts lost many close games, including five games in which they had led by double-digits at some point, and finished 3–13.[55]
The Colts opened the 1999 season with a 31–14 victory over Buffalo, but gave up a 28–7 lead the following week against the Patriots and lost.[56][57] After defeating San Diego 27–19 in a game in which Manning threw for over 400 yards, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for they lost again, to Miami.[58][50][59] The Colts responded by winning 11 of their remaining 12 games, finishing 13–3 and the AFC East champions. The 10 game turnaround from the previous year set an NFL record.[60] As the second seed in the AFC, the Colts earned a first round bye, and faced Tennessee in the play-offs. The Colts lost 19–16 to the Super Bowl bound Titans and Manning was held without a touchdown.[61] Manning finished the year with 4,135 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns, and was named both Second Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl, both firsts for him.[49][62] In the Pro Bowl, he passed for 270 yards with 2 touchdowns.[63]
The Colts started off the 2000 season inconsistent. Following an opening week victory against Kansas City, they blew a 21–0 lead against the Raiders.[64][65] The Colts responded with a Monday Night victory against Jacksonville, a 43–14 win in which Manning threw for 430 yards and 4 touchdowns; Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.[66][50] The Colts won 4 of their next 5 games, including one against New England in which Manning posted the first perfect passer rating of his career, but then lost 4 of the 5 games following that. The Colts regained their momentum, winning their final 3 games, including a 31–10 win over Minnesota on Week 17. Manning threw for 4 touchdowns in the win and was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the win gave the Colts a 10-6 record as well as a wild card spot in the play-offs.[67][50][68] In the wild card game, the Colts fell to the Dolphins, 23–17 in overtime. Manning passed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the loss.[69] He finished the season with 4,413 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns and was named Second Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl.[49] At the Pro Bowl, Manning threw two touchdown passes.[70][71]
During the 2001 season, Manning and the Colts introduced the league to their now-signature no-huddle offense, and used it to great effect in a Week 1 rout of the Jets, 45–24.[72] The next week, the Colts advanced to 2–0 with a win over Buffalo, behind Manning's 421 yards passing.[73] He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game.[50] However, the Colts lost the following week to New England, and continued their slide losing their following two games.[74] The Colts briefly rebounded, winning two games, but then lost seven of their last nine, finishing the season 6–10.[75] Despite the poor record, Manning finished the season with 4,131 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns.[49]
The Colts started off the 2002 season 4–1, before a 3 game losing streak sent them to 4–4. The Colts responded by winning all but two of their remaining games, including a 35–13 upset of the Eagles in which Manning had a perfect quarterback rating for the second time in his career, giving them a 10–6 record and a spot in the play-offs.[76] However, the Colts were pummeled by the Jets in the Wild Card game, 41–0, with Manning passing for only 137 yards.[77] He finished the year with 4,200 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl team.[49] In the Pro Bowl, Manning completed five of eleven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.[78]
The 2003 Colts began the season 5–0, including a 55–21 blowout of the Saints in which Manning played his third perfect game, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[50] After an overtime loss to Carolina, the Colts won all but three of their remaining games, finishing 12–4.[79] In a Week 14 win against Atlanta, Manning threw for five touchdowns and was named player of the week a second time.[80][50] He also earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for the month of October.[50] In the Wild Card playoff round Manning and the Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 41–10, his first playoff win. He passed for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in the game, earning him a perfect passer rating, his second of the season and the fourth of his career.[81] After the game, Manning was awarded Player of the Week honors for the third time that season.[50] In the divisional playoffs, Manning led the Colts to a 38–31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.[82] In the AFC title game Manning was shut down by the New England Patriots defense and posted the third lowest passer rating of his career at 35.5. The Patriots defense intercepted Manning four times and sacked him another four, as the Colts lost the game 24–14.[83][84] During the season, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and was named the AP NFL co-MVP along with Titans quarterback Steve McNair.[50][85] Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best NFL Player.[44] Manning led the league with 4,267 passing yards and threw 29 touchdowns; he was named First Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl.[86][49] He passed for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Pro Bowl, a 55–52 loss.[87]
The 2004 Colts opened the season with a 27–24 loss to the Patriots, after Mike Vanderjagt missed a potentially game tying field goal in the closing seconds of the game.[88] The Colts won their next four games including a 45–31 win over Green Bay in which Manning threw 5 touchdowns, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, but then lost their next two games, to Jacksonville and Kansas City, despite Manning throwing for 840 yards combined in the two games.[89][50][90][91] The Colts responded well, winning their next 8 games before losing their final regular season game to Denver, a game in which Manning played only one series.[92] During the month of November, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice; once for his 5 touchdown performance in a 49–14 blowout of Houston and once for his performance in a 41–9 win at Detroit in which he threw 6 touchdowns in less than three quarters.[93][94] Due to his performances in November, Manning earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors.[50] He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a fourth time in the week 16 game against San Diego[50] where he led the Colts to a 34–31 victory after trailing by fifteen in the fourth quarter.[95]
During the season, Manning threw for 4,557 yards, had a record 121.1 quarterback rating and 49 touchdowns, which was also a record (since broken).,[49][96] He was selected as the 2004 NFL MVP drawing 49 of 50 votes, was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Best NFL Player at the ESPY Awards for the second consecutive year; Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for his 49 touchdown passes.[85][44] The Colts finished the season with a 12–4 record and their second straight AFC South title. They were the third seed in the AFC.[97] Three Colts receivers had 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns that season.
In the Wild Card game against Denver, Manning passed for 458 yards and 4 touchdowns.[98] However, the Colts' 2004 season ended in Foxborough for a second straight year with a 20–3 loss against New England, when Manning recorded a season-low passer rating of 69.3. It was Manning's seventh consecutive loss to the Patriots in Foxborough and the Colts' three points were their lowest single game point total since their opening game of the 2003 season.[99] Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter; in the Pro Bowl, he threw 3 touchdowns in a 38–27 victory and was named the game's MVP.[100] Manning was also a unanimous First Team All-Pro selection.[101]
In 2005, the Colts had a greatly improved defense over that of recent years. Combining this with their offense, they won their first 13 games, including a 40–21 rout of the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, New England. This was Manning's first win against the Patriots in 8 attempts, and his 3 touchdowns passes earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[102][50] By week 15, the Colts had a perfect 13–0 record, and had secured the AFC South and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Nevertheless, Tony Dungy made the decision to play all of his regular starters against the Chargers. However, the Colts played a sub-par game against the Chargers and fell short of the win; the score was 26–17.[103] Manning finished the season with 3,747 passing yards, the first time he had thrown for under 4,000 yards since his rookie season of 1998, largely due to the fact that Manning sat out much of the final two games with the top AFC seed clinched. His quarterback rating of 104.1 was the highest in the league for the season.[49]
In the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the RCA Dome for the second AFC divisional playoff game of the 2005 season. The Steelers gained a 14–3 lead by halftime. In the 4th quarter with only a few minutes left in the game, Manning threw what looked to be the game-ending interception to Troy Polamalu, but the interception was overturned (a call the NFL later admitted was incorrect).[104] The Colts went on to score, and were able to get the ball back down three points near the end of the game. On 4th down, Manning was sacked near his own goal line, and the game seemed to be over as the Steelers were one yard from a touchdown. On the next play, the ball was fumbled by Jerome Bettis and picked up by Colts defender Nick Harper who appeared to have a clear path down the sideline for what might have been the game-winning score. However, Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed to dive in front of Harper and tackle him by the leg, saving a touchdown. The Colts drove down the field to the Steelers 27 yard line, before Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal as time ran out.[105]
Manning came in second in voting for the MVP award to Shaun Alexander ending his streak at two years.[106] He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award, along with Tom Brady and Carson Palmer.[107] Manning was also named First Team All-Pro for the third consecutive year and named to the Pro Bowl squad; in the Pro Bowl, he threw one touchdown pass and three interceptions.[108][109]
Manning and the 2006 Colts visit President George W. Bush at the White House.
The Colts started the 2006 season 9–0, including victories against Houston and Washington in weeks 2 and 7 that earned Manning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and a week 9 victory over New England.[110][111][50][112] Manning was also named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after a week 17 victory against Miami.[113] The Colts finished the season 12–4 and the AFC South Champions, and entered the play-offs as the number 3 seed.[114] Manning ended the regular season with 4,397 passing yards and a league-leading 31 touchdown passes. His quarterback rating (101.0) was the highest in the league for the third year in a row.[49]
Manning's Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs by a score of 23–8, then won their game against the Baltimore Ravens, 15–6.[115][116] In the AFC Championship game, the Colts trailed 21–3 before coming back to defeat the Patriots for the title by a score of 38–34. Late in the fourth quarter, Manning led an 80 yard touchdown drive to take the lead and finished with 349 passing yards and two touchdowns. The comeback was the largest deficit ever overcome in a conference championship.[117]
Manning led the Colts to a 29–17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was voted the Super Bowl MVP.[118] Manning, who had been criticized for failing to win big games, exorcised his big-game demons with the win. "In years' past when our team's come up short, it's been disappointing," he told reporters. "Somehow we found a way to have learned from some of those losses and we've been a better team because of it."[119] For his role in the Colts' championship run, Manning was awarded the ESPY for Best Championship Performance.[120] Manning was again named to the Pro Bowl and was also named Second-Team All-Pro; in the Pro Bowl he played only two series, passing for 67 yards.[49][121][122] Following the Super Bowl win, Manning agreed to restructure his contract to save the Colts $8.2 million in salary cap space.[123]
Manning's Colts opened the NFL season with 7 wins, pitting them against an undefeated Patriots squad in a match-up that was being called "Super Bowl 41.5". Manning and Addai helped the Colts to a 13–7 half-time lead, and an early fourth quarter touchdown upped the lead to 20–10. However, Brady led the Patriots to two late touchdowns, to hand Manning his first loss of the season, 24–20. Manning finished the game with 225 yards passing, including a passing touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown.[124]
Manning did not bounce back from the loss well. Against the San Diego Chargers he threw for a career-worst and franchise-record 6 interceptions. Despite this, he was able to rally the Colts from a 23–0 deficit to 23–21, and gave Adam Vinatieri an opportunity to take the lead with a 29-yard field goal. Vinatieri's miss sunk the Colts to 7–2. Along with six interceptions, Manning finished the day with two TDs, allowing him to pass Johnny Unitas's all-time touchdown mark.[125] Manning did not play particularly well against the Kansas City Chiefs either, throwing no touchdowns. However, he managed to lead the Colts on a late drive for a game-winning field goal, rushing for two yards on 4th and 1 in the process. Manning finished the game with 163 passing yards, allowing him to overtake 40,000 in his career.[126] The victory was Manning's 100th.[127] The Colts won their next 5 games, securing them with yet another AFC South title, as well as the AFC's number two seed in the play-offs.[128] In the final game of the season, Manning played only two series before being replaced with back-up Jim Sorgi; the Colts lost the game to the Titans, 16–10.[5] Manning finished the season with 4,040 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes, and a quarterback rating of 98.0.[49] In the divisional round of the playoffs, Manning and the Colts lost to the Chargers, 28–24. Manning helped the Colts to 4 different leads but could not lead a final touchdown drive for the win. Manning finished the game with 402 yards passing and 3 passing touchdowns.[129] Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter and passed for 147 yards and a touchdown in three series.[130]
On July 14, 2008, Manning had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee.[131] Manning, who had worn a knee brace due to problems since he was in college, sat out all four preseason games and missed most of training camp.
In the first regular season game at new Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts lost 29–13 to the Chicago Bears. The following week they fell behind 15–0 to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2nd half before rallying to win the game on Adam Vinatieri's 47 yard field goal. Manning passed for 311 yards as the Colts avoided their first 0–2 start since Manning's rookie season.[132]
Week 3 matched the Colts with division rival Jacksonville. Manning threw 2 interceptions in the game, including one that was returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis. Jacksonville rushed for 236 yards and held the ball for over 41 minutes. Still, trailing by 6 late in the game Manning led the Colts on a 77-yard TD drive to take a 21-20 lead. Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee made a 51 yard field goal to win the game and drop the Colts to 1–2.[133]
For the third week in a row, Manning used the 4th quarter to bring the Colts back from a 27–10 deficit in the last 5 minutes against the Houston Texans to a 31–27 victory. It was the first time a NFL team had won a game in regulation after trailing by 17 points in the last 5 minutes.[134] Manning threw a 7 yard TD pass on 4th & 6 to rookie tight end Tom Santi to make the deficit 27–17. Houston QB Sage Rosenfels, starting for the injured Matt Schaub, then fumbled the ball on a scramble, and it was returned 68 yards for a TD by Gary Brackett. After another Rosenfels fumble, Manning threw the 5-yard game-winning TD pass to Reggie Wayne. The Colts scored 3 TDs in 2:10.[135] The game-winning drive was the 32nd of Manning's career, moving him past Johnny Unitas for most in club history.[136]
On October 12 Manning led the Colts to a 31–3 blow out win at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens to avoid their first 0–3 start at home since 1997. The win moved Manning past Terry Bradshaw on the all-time wins list with 108. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 17th time in his career for his effort of 3 TD passes and 271 yards passing.[137] It was revealed during the game by CBS commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that Manning had a second surgery on his knee before the season started. Colts coach Tony Dungy confirmed this report the day after the Baltimore game.[138]
The Colts suffered their largest margin of defeat, 34–14, in Green Bay the following week. Manning threw 2 interceptions that were returned for touchdowns (2nd time in career; 1st was 9/30/01 vs. New England Patriots).[139][140] The next week the Colts went into Tennessee on Monday Night Football to face the 6–0 Titans. They led 14–6 in the 3rd quarter, but Tennessee scored 25 unanswered for a 31–21 victory and almost assured the Colts they would not win the AFC South division title for the first time in 6 seasons.[141] At 3–4 the Colts opened up November with their annual showdown against the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The game lacked the luster the rivalry has carried, as there was no Tom Brady, no undefeated season on the line, and neither team was in 1st place of their division. Still, the game was close all the way. Tied at 15 in the 4th quarter, Manning set up Adam Vinatieri for a 52 yard field goal that proved to be the winning points in an 18–15 victory. Manning completed 21 of 29 passes for 254 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.[142] The Colts were 4–4 halfway through the season and still alive in the AFC playoff race.
In week 10 the Colts traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the 6–2 Steelers who had the league's #1 defense. They trailed 17–7 in the 2nd quarter before Manning found Dallas Clark for a 2-yard TD to end the half 17–14. Down 20-17 in the 4th quarter, Manning found Dominic Rhodes uncovered for a 17 yard TD pass that would put the Colts up 24-20 for the rest of the game. It was Manning's 4th game-winning drive (35th of his career) in the 4th quarter this season. He completed 21 of 40 for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns (the 50th game of his career with 3+ TD passes). It was the first time the Colts have won in Pittsburgh since 1968 (12 straight losses before this win).[143] Against Houston, Manning passed for 320 yards and 2 TDs while leading 5 consecutive scoring drives in a 33-27 victory, the third in a row for the Colts.[144] Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 2nd time this season (18th time, career)[145]
At San Diego, Manning completed 32 of 44 for 255 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT in a 23-20 victory. The interception snapped his streak of 140 pass attempts without an interception, the longest streak of his career. After the Chargers rallied from a 10 point deficit in the 4th to tie the game at 20, Manning led the game-winning drive by completing a 14 yard pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th and inches at midfield. Adam Vinateri kicked the winning 51 yard field goal three plays later. It was Manning's 5th game-winning drive in the 4th quarter this season. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak to the Chargers.[146] Manning passed for a season-low 125 yards at Cleveland, but the Colts won their 5th straight game, by a final of 10–6.[147]
In a 35-3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manning threw 3 TD passes while completing 26 of 32 passes for 277 yards. It marked the 11th straight season Manning had thrown at least 20 TD passes, the 2nd longest streak ever.[148] Against the 0–13 Detroit Lions, the Colts found themselves in a 21–21 game in the 4th quarter. Manning led his 6th game-winning drive of the season and the Colts pulled away 31-21. It marked their 7th straight win, 7th straight season with 10+ wins, and they became the only team in NFL history to have a winning streak of at least 7 games in 5 straight seasons. Manning completed 28 of 37 passes for 318 yards and 1 TD.[149]
Needing a win to clinch the 5th seed in the playoffs, Manning had one of his best career performances in Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football. He completed his first 17 passes of the game. In addition to completing his last 6 against Detroit, Manning's 23 straight completions fell one shy of the NFL record (Donovan McNabb - 24). The Colts trailed 14-0 in the first half and 24-14 to start the 4th quarter. Manning led his 7th 4th quarter comeback of the season and the Colts put the game away with a defensive TD for a 31-24 victory to clinch a 7th consecutive playoff berth. Manning completed 29 of 34 passes (85.7%) for 364 yards and 3 TDs. It increased his NFL record streak of seasons with 25 TD passes to 11. Manning and the Colts tied a NFL record by winning 3 games in a season in which they trailed by at least 14 points.[150] For his efforts Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2008. It was the 19th time he has won the award, passing Dan Marino for the most all-time since the award was originated in 1984.[151] With the playoff seed secured, Manning only played the opening drive against the Titans in Week 17. He completed all 7 of his passes for 95 yards and a TD, extending his NFL record to nine seasons with 4000 yards passing, and also extended the record to a sixth straight season he led the Colts to at least 12 wins.[152] At the end of the 2008 season, Manning was named NFL MVP for the 3rd time, tying Brett Favre for the most MVP awards in NFL history.
Manning married his wife Ashley in Memphis on St. Patrick's Day in 2001. Ashley was introduced to him by her parents' next-door neighbor the summer before Manning's freshman year in college.[154]
During the summer, Archie, Peyton, Eli, and Cooper run the Manning Passing Academy, a five day camp which aims to improve the offensive skills of quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs.[155] In addition to the Mannings, the camp has included many prominent players from football as coaches, such as Colts wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.[156]
Peyton, along with Archie, authored a book entitled Manning: A Father, His Sons, and a Football Legacy, which was released in 2000. The book covers Archie's and Cooper's lives and careers, and Peyton's life and career up to the time that the book was released, and examines football from both Archie's and Peyton's points-of-view.[157]
Manning in popular culture
“
That guy's pretty good. If you like...six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a...laser rocket arm...
”
—Peyton Manning, in disguise, referring to himself in an advertisement for Sprint
Manning has become the NFL's most marketable player, appearing in several television and printed advertisements for some of the NFL's biggest sponsors.[10] Manning is recognized as a pitchman for the following companies: Sprint, Sony, MasterCard, Gatorade, DirecTV, H.H. Gregg, and the American Red Cross. Manning also was the spokesman for Xbox's NFL Fever games, and was featured on the covers of the games.[11]
An ESPN This is SportsCenter ad from 2006 features the entire Manning family; parents Archie and Olivia, with their sons Peyton, Eli and Cooper, touring the SportCenter studios with Peyton and Eli engaging in horseplay behind everybody.
He was also featured in one of a series of DirecTV commercials where celebrities are seen in their element, then suddenly begin addressing the viewer. In his commercial they parodied his pre-snap audible routine and known delay in calling for the ball by having him pitch NFL Sunday Ticket instead of changing the play during a blowout game against the Tennessee Titans. Manning also appears in advertisements for St. Mary's Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Manning also hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Carrie Underwood on March 24, 2007, his 31st birthday. The episode earned the show's highest household rating in more than 10 months in the metered markets.[12] During his opening, he alluded to his most-marketable status by joking that he had accomplished two of his life goals: his team, the Colts, winning a Super Bowl and his appearance on over half of America's television commercials.[158] On May 27, 2007 Manning waved the green flag to begin the 91st Indianapolis 500.[159]. more
In his sophomore year, Manning's team went 8–2 in the regular season and made it to the state semifinals, equaling the school's best season.[15] The following year, they went 11–2 and advanced to the state quarterfinals, with Manning throwing 30 touchdown passes.[16] As a senior, his team won all ten of their regular season games. Manning passed for over 2,500 yards and 39 touchdowns and won the award for the national Gatorade Player of the Year.[17] Isidore Newman lost in the second round of the play-offs with Manning throwing for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns.[18]
Manning stunned many when he chose to attend the University of Tennessee instead of Ole Miss, his father's alma mater.[19] He became Tennessee's all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns and won 39 of 45 games as a starter, breaking the Southeastern Conference (SEC) record for career wins.[20][21]As a freshman, Manning was the third-string quarterback, but injuries to Todd Helton and Jerry Colquitt forced him to take over the Mississippi State game, a 24–21 loss. In his first start, the following week against Washington State, the Vols won, 10–9, and the Vols won all but one of their remaining games, finishing the season 8–4 with a 45–23 victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.[22][23][24]
Manning and the Vols started off the 1995 season with victories over East Carolina and Georgia, before heading off to Gainesville to play the Gators.[25] Against Florida, he threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Vols to a 30–21 halftime lead. However, the Gators outscored the Vols 41–7 in the second half, winning 62–37.[26] This would be the Vols' only loss of the season, as they won their remaining 8 regular season games, including a 41–14 win over Alabama and then defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl.[27][28] The Vols ended the season ranked third and Manning came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.[29]
The Vols opened the 1996 season ranked second behind Nebraska and one of the favorites to win the national championship.[30] However, after winning their first two games against UNLV and UCLA, the Vols again lost to Florida, 35–29, with Manning throwing four interceptions.[31] After winning their next four games, the Vols were upset by Memphis, despite Manning passing for 296 yards.[32] The Vols won the remainder of their games, including a 48–28 win in the Citrus Bowl over Northwestern, a game in which Manning passed for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns; he was named the game's MVP.[33][34]
Manning completed his degree in three years, and was projected to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft, but returned to Tennessee for his senior year.[35] In his senior season, the Vols opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA, but for the third time in his career, Manning fell to Florida, 33–20.[36][37][38] The Vols won the rest of their regular season games, finishing 10–1, and advanced to the SEC Championship game against Auburn. Down 20–7, Manning led the Vols to a 30–29 victory. Throwing for 4 touchdowns, he was named the game's MVP, but injured himself in the process.[39][40] The 3rd-ranked Vols were matched-up with 2nd-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl; if Tennessee won and top-ranked Michigan lost to Washington State in the Rose Bowl, the Vols would win the national championship.[41] However, the Vols' defense could not stop Nebraska's rushing attack, giving up over 400 rushing yards in a 42–17 loss.[42] As a senior, Manning won numerous awards; he was a consensus first-team All-American, the Maxwell Award winner, the Davey O'Brien Award winner, the Johnny Unitas Award winner, and the Best College Player ESPY Award winner, among others; however, he did not win the Heisman, finishing runner-up to Charles Woodson.[43][44][45] In 2005, Tennessee retired Manning's number (#16).[46] One of the streets leading to Neyland Stadium has been re-named Peyton Manning Pass.
In 1996, while he was still quarterback at the University of Tennessee, Manning was involoved in an incident where he allegedly "dropped his pants in front of (female assistant athletic trainer) Jamie Ann Naughright". TheSmokingGun.com reports this incident as being a "mooning" gone awry and not sexual in nature.[47] In 2003, The University of Tennessee chose to settle the lawsuit with Naughright (then named Jamie Whited) for $300,000. When Manning signed with the Colts, he donated $300,000 to the Tennessee athletic department to cover this cost.[48]
Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.[3] In his rookie season, he passed for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns, set five different NFL rookie records, including most touchdown passes in a season, and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team.[49][50][51] Manning's first win came against fellow rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf, 17–12 over the Chargers.[52] Weeks later, Manning faced off against Steve Young; he threw three touchdowns, tying a Colts rookie record, but the 49ers kicked a late field goal to win, 34–31.[53] In November against the Jets, Manning threw for three touchdowns in a 24–23 win; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. It was the first game-winning drive of Manning's career, as he hit Marcus Pollard with the game-winning TD pass.[54][50] The Colts lost many close games, including five games in which they had led by double-digits at some point, and finished 3–13.[55]The Colts opened the 1999 season with a 31–14 victory over Buffalo, but gave up a 28–7 lead the following week against the Patriots and lost.[56][57] After defeating San Diego 27–19 in a game in which Manning threw for over 400 yards, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for they lost again, to Miami.[58][50][59] The Colts responded by winning 11 of their remaining 12 games, finishing 13–3 and the AFC East champions. The 10 game turnaround from the previous year set an NFL record.[60] As the second seed in the AFC, the Colts earned a first round bye, and faced Tennessee in the play-offs. The Colts lost 19–16 to the Super Bowl bound Titans and Manning was held without a touchdown.[61] Manning finished the year with 4,135 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns, and was named both Second Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl, both firsts for him.[49][62] In the Pro Bowl, he passed for 270 yards with 2 touchdowns.[63]
The Colts started off the 2000 season inconsistent. Following an opening week victory against Kansas City, they blew a 21–0 lead against the Raiders.[64][65] The Colts responded with a Monday Night victory against Jacksonville, a 43–14 win in which Manning threw for 430 yards and 4 touchdowns; Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.[66][50] The Colts won 4 of their next 5 games, including one against New England in which Manning posted the first perfect passer rating of his career, but then lost 4 of the 5 games following that. The Colts regained their momentum, winning their final 3 games, including a 31–10 win over Minnesota on Week 17. Manning threw for 4 touchdowns in the win and was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the win gave the Colts a 10-6 record as well as a wild card spot in the play-offs.[67][50][68] In the wild card game, the Colts fell to the Dolphins, 23–17 in overtime. Manning passed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the loss.[69] He finished the season with 4,413 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns and was named Second Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl.[49] At the Pro Bowl, Manning threw two touchdown passes.[70][71]
During the 2001 season, Manning and the Colts introduced the league to their now-signature no-huddle offense, and used it to great effect in a Week 1 rout of the Jets, 45–24.[72] The next week, the Colts advanced to 2–0 with a win over Buffalo, behind Manning's 421 yards passing.[73] He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game.[50] However, the Colts lost the following week to New England, and continued their slide losing their following two games.[74] The Colts briefly rebounded, winning two games, but then lost seven of their last nine, finishing the season 6–10.[75] Despite the poor record, Manning finished the season with 4,131 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns.[49]
The Colts started off the 2002 season 4–1, before a 3 game losing streak sent them to 4–4. The Colts responded by winning all but two of their remaining games, including a 35–13 upset of the Eagles in which Manning had a perfect quarterback rating for the second time in his career, giving them a 10–6 record and a spot in the play-offs.[76] However, the Colts were pummeled by the Jets in the Wild Card game, 41–0, with Manning passing for only 137 yards.[77] He finished the year with 4,200 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl team.[49] In the Pro Bowl, Manning completed five of eleven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.[78]
The 2003 Colts began the season 5–0, including a 55–21 blowout of the Saints in which Manning played his third perfect game, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[50] After an overtime loss to Carolina, the Colts won all but three of their remaining games, finishing 12–4.[79] In a Week 14 win against Atlanta, Manning threw for five touchdowns and was named player of the week a second time.[80][50] He also earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for the month of October.[50] In the Wild Card playoff round Manning and the Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 41–10, his first playoff win. He passed for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in the game, earning him a perfect passer rating, his second of the season and the fourth of his career.[81] After the game, Manning was awarded Player of the Week honors for the third time that season.[50] In the divisional playoffs, Manning led the Colts to a 38–31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.[82] In the AFC title game Manning was shut down by the New England Patriots defense and posted the third lowest passer rating of his career at 35.5. The Patriots defense intercepted Manning four times and sacked him another four, as the Colts lost the game 24–14.[83][84] During the season, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and was named the AP NFL co-MVP along with Titans quarterback Steve McNair.[50][85] Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best NFL Player.[44] Manning led the league with 4,267 passing yards and threw 29 touchdowns; he was named First Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl.[86][49] He passed for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Pro Bowl, a 55–52 loss.[87]
The 2004 Colts opened the season with a 27–24 loss to the Patriots, after Mike Vanderjagt missed a potentially game tying field goal in the closing seconds of the game.[88] The Colts won their next four games including a 45–31 win over Green Bay in which Manning threw 5 touchdowns, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, but then lost their next two games, to Jacksonville and Kansas City, despite Manning throwing for 840 yards combined in the two games.[89][50][90][91] The Colts responded well, winning their next 8 games before losing their final regular season game to Denver, a game in which Manning played only one series.[92] During the month of November, Manning was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice; once for his 5 touchdown performance in a 49–14 blowout of Houston and once for his performance in a 41–9 win at Detroit in which he threw 6 touchdowns in less than three quarters.[93][94] Due to his performances in November, Manning earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors.[50] He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for a fourth time in the week 16 game against San Diego[50] where he led the Colts to a 34–31 victory after trailing by fifteen in the fourth quarter.[95]
During the season, Manning threw for 4,557 yards, had a record 121.1 quarterback rating and 49 touchdowns, which was also a record (since broken).,[49][96] He was selected as the 2004 NFL MVP drawing 49 of 50 votes, was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was named the Best NFL Player at the ESPY Awards for the second consecutive year; Manning also received the ESPY Award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for his 49 touchdown passes.[85][44] The Colts finished the season with a 12–4 record and their second straight AFC South title. They were the third seed in the AFC.[97] Three Colts receivers had 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns that season.
In the Wild Card game against Denver, Manning passed for 458 yards and 4 touchdowns.[98] However, the Colts' 2004 season ended in Foxborough for a second straight year with a 20–3 loss against New England, when Manning recorded a season-low passer rating of 69.3. It was Manning's seventh consecutive loss to the Patriots in Foxborough and the Colts' three points were their lowest single game point total since their opening game of the 2003 season.[99] Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter; in the Pro Bowl, he threw 3 touchdowns in a 38–27 victory and was named the game's MVP.[100] Manning was also a unanimous First Team All-Pro selection.[101]
In 2005, the Colts had a greatly improved defense over that of recent years. Combining this with their offense, they won their first 13 games, including a 40–21 rout of the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, New England. This was Manning's first win against the Patriots in 8 attempts, and his 3 touchdowns passes earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[102][50] By week 15, the Colts had a perfect 13–0 record, and had secured the AFC South and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Nevertheless, Tony Dungy made the decision to play all of his regular starters against the Chargers. However, the Colts played a sub-par game against the Chargers and fell short of the win; the score was 26–17.[103] Manning finished the season with 3,747 passing yards, the first time he had thrown for under 4,000 yards since his rookie season of 1998, largely due to the fact that Manning sat out much of the final two games with the top AFC seed clinched. His quarterback rating of 104.1 was the highest in the league for the season.[49]
In the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the RCA Dome for the second AFC divisional playoff game of the 2005 season. The Steelers gained a 14–3 lead by halftime. In the 4th quarter with only a few minutes left in the game, Manning threw what looked to be the game-ending interception to Troy Polamalu, but the interception was overturned (a call the NFL later admitted was incorrect).[104] The Colts went on to score, and were able to get the ball back down three points near the end of the game. On 4th down, Manning was sacked near his own goal line, and the game seemed to be over as the Steelers were one yard from a touchdown. On the next play, the ball was fumbled by Jerome Bettis and picked up by Colts defender Nick Harper who appeared to have a clear path down the sideline for what might have been the game-winning score. However, Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed to dive in front of Harper and tackle him by the leg, saving a touchdown. The Colts drove down the field to the Steelers 27 yard line, before Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal as time ran out.[105]
Manning came in second in voting for the MVP award to Shaun Alexander ending his streak at two years.[106] He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award, along with Tom Brady and Carson Palmer.[107] Manning was also named First Team All-Pro for the third consecutive year and named to the Pro Bowl squad; in the Pro Bowl, he threw one touchdown pass and three interceptions.[108][109]
Manning and the 2006 Colts visit President George W. Bush at the White House.
The Colts started the 2006 season 9–0, including victories against Houston and Washington in weeks 2 and 7 that earned Manning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and a week 9 victory over New England.[110][111][50][112] Manning was also named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after a week 17 victory against Miami.[113] The Colts finished the season 12–4 and the AFC South Champions, and entered the play-offs as the number 3 seed.[114] Manning ended the regular season with 4,397 passing yards and a league-leading 31 touchdown passes. His quarterback rating (101.0) was the highest in the league for the third year in a row.[49]
Manning's Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs by a score of 23–8, then won their game against the Baltimore Ravens, 15–6.[115][116] In the AFC Championship game, the Colts trailed 21–3 before coming back to defeat the Patriots for the title by a score of 38–34. Late in the fourth quarter, Manning led an 80 yard touchdown drive to take the lead and finished with 349 passing yards and two touchdowns. The comeback was the largest deficit ever overcome in a conference championship.[117]
Manning led the Colts to a 29–17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was voted the Super Bowl MVP.[118] Manning, who had been criticized for failing to win big games, exorcised his big-game demons with the win. "In years' past when our team's come up short, it's been disappointing," he told reporters. "Somehow we found a way to have learned from some of those losses and we've been a better team because of it."[119] For his role in the Colts' championship run, Manning was awarded the ESPY for Best Championship Performance.[120] Manning was again named to the Pro Bowl and was also named Second-Team All-Pro; in the Pro Bowl he played only two series, passing for 67 yards.[49][121][122] Following the Super Bowl win, Manning agreed to restructure his contract to save the Colts $8.2 million in salary cap space.[123]Manning's Colts opened the NFL season with 7 wins, pitting them against an undefeated Patriots squad in a match-up that was being called "Super Bowl 41.5". Manning and Addai helped the Colts to a 13–7 half-time lead, and an early fourth quarter touchdown upped the lead to 20–10. However, Brady led the Patriots to two late touchdowns, to hand Manning his first loss of the season, 24–20. Manning finished the game with 225 yards passing, including a passing touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown.[124]
Manning did not bounce back from the loss well. Against the San Diego Chargers he threw for a career-worst and franchise-record 6 interceptions. Despite this, he was able to rally the Colts from a 23–0 deficit to 23–21, and gave Adam Vinatieri an opportunity to take the lead with a 29-yard field goal. Vinatieri's miss sunk the Colts to 7–2. Along with six interceptions, Manning finished the day with two TDs, allowing him to pass Johnny Unitas's all-time touchdown mark.[125] Manning did not play particularly well against the Kansas City Chiefs either, throwing no touchdowns. However, he managed to lead the Colts on a late drive for a game-winning field goal, rushing for two yards on 4th and 1 in the process. Manning finished the game with 163 passing yards, allowing him to overtake 40,000 in his career.[126] The victory was Manning's 100th.[127] The Colts won their next 5 games, securing them with yet another AFC South title, as well as the AFC's number two seed in the play-offs.[128] In the final game of the season, Manning played only two series before being replaced with back-up Jim Sorgi; the Colts lost the game to the Titans, 16–10.[5] Manning finished the season with 4,040 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes, and a quarterback rating of 98.0.[49] In the divisional round of the playoffs, Manning and the Colts lost to the Chargers, 28–24. Manning helped the Colts to 4 different leads but could not lead a final touchdown drive for the win. Manning finished the game with 402 yards passing and 3 passing touchdowns.[129] Manning was named a Pro Bowl starter and passed for 147 yards and a touchdown in three series.[130]
On July 14, 2008, Manning had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee.[131] Manning, who had worn a knee brace due to problems since he was in college, sat out all four preseason games and missed most of training camp.
In the first regular season game at new Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts lost 29–13 to the Chicago Bears. The following week they fell behind 15–0 to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2nd half before rallying to win the game on Adam Vinatieri's 47 yard field goal. Manning passed for 311 yards as the Colts avoided their first 0–2 start since Manning's rookie season.[132]
Week 3 matched the Colts with division rival Jacksonville. Manning threw 2 interceptions in the game, including one that was returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis. Jacksonville rushed for 236 yards and held the ball for over 41 minutes. Still, trailing by 6 late in the game Manning led the Colts on a 77-yard TD drive to take a 21-20 lead. Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee made a 51 yard field goal to win the game and drop the Colts to 1–2.[133]
For the third week in a row, Manning used the 4th quarter to bring the Colts back from a 27–10 deficit in the last 5 minutes against the Houston Texans to a 31–27 victory. It was the first time a NFL team had won a game in regulation after trailing by 17 points in the last 5 minutes.[134] Manning threw a 7 yard TD pass on 4th & 6 to rookie tight end Tom Santi to make the deficit 27–17. Houston QB Sage Rosenfels, starting for the injured Matt Schaub, then fumbled the ball on a scramble, and it was returned 68 yards for a TD by Gary Brackett. After another Rosenfels fumble, Manning threw the 5-yard game-winning TD pass to Reggie Wayne. The Colts scored 3 TDs in 2:10.[135] The game-winning drive was the 32nd of Manning's career, moving him past Johnny Unitas for most in club history.[136]
On October 12 Manning led the Colts to a 31–3 blow out win at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens to avoid their first 0–3 start at home since 1997. The win moved Manning past Terry Bradshaw on the all-time wins list with 108. Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 17th time in his career for his effort of 3 TD passes and 271 yards passing.[137] It was revealed during the game by CBS commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that Manning had a second surgery on his knee before the season started. Colts coach Tony Dungy confirmed this report the day after the Baltimore game.[138]
The Colts suffered their largest margin of defeat, 34–14, in Green Bay the following week. Manning threw 2 interceptions that were returned for touchdowns (2nd time in career; 1st was 9/30/01 vs. New England Patriots).[139][140] The next week the Colts went into Tennessee on Monday Night Football to face the 6–0 Titans. They led 14–6 in the 3rd quarter, but Tennessee scored 25 unanswered for a 31–21 victory and almost assured the Colts they would not win the AFC South division title for the first time in 6 seasons.[141] At 3–4 the Colts opened up November with their annual showdown against the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The game lacked the luster the rivalry has carried, as there was no Tom Brady, no undefeated season on the line, and neither team was in 1st place of their division. Still, the game was close all the way. Tied at 15 in the 4th quarter, Manning set up Adam Vinatieri for a 52 yard field goal that proved to be the winning points in an 18–15 victory. Manning completed 21 of 29 passes for 254 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.[142] The Colts were 4–4 halfway through the season and still alive in the AFC playoff race.
In week 10 the Colts traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the 6–2 Steelers who had the league's #1 defense. They trailed 17–7 in the 2nd quarter before Manning found Dallas Clark for a 2-yard TD to end the half 17–14. Down 20-17 in the 4th quarter, Manning found Dominic Rhodes uncovered for a 17 yard TD pass that would put the Colts up 24-20 for the rest of the game. It was Manning's 4th game-winning drive (35th of his career) in the 4th quarter this season. He completed 21 of 40 for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns (the 50th game of his career with 3+ TD passes). It was the first time the Colts have won in Pittsburgh since 1968 (12 straight losses before this win).[143] Against Houston, Manning passed for 320 yards and 2 TDs while leading 5 consecutive scoring drives in a 33-27 victory, the third in a row for the Colts.[144] Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 2nd time this season (18th time, career)[145]
At San Diego, Manning completed 32 of 44 for 255 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT in a 23-20 victory. The interception snapped his streak of 140 pass attempts without an interception, the longest streak of his career. After the Chargers rallied from a 10 point deficit in the 4th to tie the game at 20, Manning led the game-winning drive by completing a 14 yard pass to Marvin Harrison on 4th and inches at midfield. Adam Vinateri kicked the winning 51 yard field goal three plays later. It was Manning's 5th game-winning drive in the 4th quarter this season. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak to the Chargers.[146] Manning passed for a season-low 125 yards at Cleveland, but the Colts won their 5th straight game, by a final of 10–6.[147]
In a 35-3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manning threw 3 TD passes while completing 26 of 32 passes for 277 yards. It marked the 11th straight season Manning had thrown at least 20 TD passes, the 2nd longest streak ever.[148] Against the 0–13 Detroit Lions, the Colts found themselves in a 21–21 game in the 4th quarter. Manning led his 6th game-winning drive of the season and the Colts pulled away 31-21. It marked their 7th straight win, 7th straight season with 10+ wins, and they became the only team in NFL history to have a winning streak of at least 7 games in 5 straight seasons. Manning completed 28 of 37 passes for 318 yards and 1 TD.[149]
Needing a win to clinch the 5th seed in the playoffs, Manning had one of his best career performances in Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football. He completed his first 17 passes of the game. In addition to completing his last 6 against Detroit, Manning's 23 straight completions fell one shy of the NFL record (Donovan McNabb - 24). The Colts trailed 14-0 in the first half and 24-14 to start the 4th quarter. Manning led his 7th 4th quarter comeback of the season and the Colts put the game away with a defensive TD for a 31-24 victory to clinch a 7th consecutive playoff berth. Manning completed 29 of 34 passes (85.7%) for 364 yards and 3 TDs. It increased his NFL record streak of seasons with 25 TD passes to 11. Manning and the Colts tied a NFL record by winning 3 games in a season in which they trailed by at least 14 points.[150] For his efforts Manning won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2008. It was the 19th time he has won the award, passing Dan Marino for the most all-time since the award was originated in 1984.[151] With the playoff seed secured, Manning only played the opening drive against the Titans in Week 17. He completed all 7 of his passes for 95 yards and a TD, extending his NFL record to nine seasons with 4000 yards passing, and also extended the record to a sixth straight season he led the Colts to at least 12 wins.[152] At the end of the 2008 season, Manning was named NFL MVP for the 3rd time, tying Brett Favre for the most MVP awards in NFL history.
Manning married his wife Ashley in Memphis on St. Patrick's Day in 2001. Ashley was introduced to him by her parents' next-door neighbor the summer before Manning's freshman year in college.[154]During the summer, Archie, Peyton, Eli, and Cooper run the Manning Passing Academy, a five day camp which aims to improve the offensive skills of quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs.[155] In addition to the Mannings, the camp has included many prominent players from football as coaches, such as Colts wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.[156]
Peyton, along with Archie, authored a book entitled Manning: A Father, His Sons, and a Football Legacy, which was released in 2000. The book covers Archie's and Cooper's lives and careers, and Peyton's life and career up to the time that the book was released, and examines football from both Archie's and Peyton's points-of-view.[157]
Manning in popular culture
“
That guy's pretty good. If you like...six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a...laser rocket arm...
”
—Peyton Manning, in disguise, referring to himself in an advertisement for Sprint
Manning has become the NFL's most marketable player, appearing in several television and printed advertisements for some of the NFL's biggest sponsors.[10] Manning is recognized as a pitchman for the following companies: Sprint, Sony, MasterCard, Gatorade, DirecTV, H.H. Gregg, and the American Red Cross. Manning also was the spokesman for Xbox's NFL Fever games, and was featured on the covers of the games.[11]
An ESPN This is SportsCenter ad from 2006 features the entire Manning family; parents Archie and Olivia, with their sons Peyton, Eli and Cooper, touring the SportCenter studios with Peyton and Eli engaging in horseplay behind everybody.
He was also featured in one of a series of DirecTV commercials where celebrities are seen in their element, then suddenly begin addressing the viewer. In his commercial they parodied his pre-snap audible routine and known delay in calling for the ball by having him pitch NFL Sunday Ticket instead of changing the play during a blowout game against the Tennessee Titans. Manning also appears in advertisements for St. Mary's Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Manning also hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Carrie Underwood on March 24, 2007, his 31st birthday. The episode earned the show's highest household rating in more than 10 months in the metered markets.[12] During his opening, he alluded to his most-marketable status by joking that he had accomplished two of his life goals: his team, the Colts, winning a Super Bowl and his appearance on over half of America's television commercials.[158] On May 27, 2007 Manning waved the green flag to begin the 91st Indianapolis 500.[159]. more
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