Monday just after lunctime, Peyton Manning handed in his lunchpail and hardhat.
The 39-year old former Tennessee Volunteer spent 17 years under center with the Colts and Broncos, winning 5 MVP awards and 2 Super Bowls. He led his team to the playoffs 15 times and along the way broke or nearly broke just about every record a quarterback can.
“Almost 19 years ago to the day I announced my decision to forgo the draft and stay at the University of Tennessee for my senior year,” Manning said at his retirement press conference in Englewood, Colorado.
“It was one of the smartest decisions I ever made. I cherished my time at Knoxville, especially my senior year, and I want Vols fans everywhere to know the unique role you have played in my life.”
Manning, as most Vols fans know, came back for 1997 to lead UT to the Orange Bowl while throwing 36 touchdowns, going 11-2 and finishing second in Heisman voting.
The Colts picked him first in the 1998 draft, where he spent 13 seasons before needing four neck surgeries in 2011 that led to him sitting out of football for a year before going to the Broncos for an encore performance. It was a bright twilight. With Denver in 2013 he delivered the best single season ever by a quarterback, setting single-season records for passing touchdowns, yards, attempts and completions.
As for career records, Manning has more wins than any other quarterback in NFL history, with 200 including playoffs He is first all-time in yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539).
If he is not remembered as the greatest quarterback of all time, he certainly had the best career of all time.
Any laudation of a pro athlete these days requires you to bring up any nagging rumors that question the official narrative, so here is where I will mention that for most of Manning’s career he was the literal poster child for hard work paying off. He embodied that mix of unimpeachable character and untiring professionalism that the NFL wants in its stars. He was good because he worked that much harder, wanted it that much more and studied that much longer. In the past year several allegations have put chinks in the armor of this narrative- potential HGH use and a troubling accusation of sexual misconduct pushed under the rug at UT.
Only a few people, in the end, know the real story about this but it is going to be at least a footnote now in the official story.
Below are Manning’s career statistics:
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