Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning at NFL.com Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise.

He is the son of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning and Olivia Manning and the older brother of current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Peyton played high school football for New Orleans, Louisiana's Isidore Newman School, then college football for the University of Tennessee and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Manning holds several NFL passing records, including: Touchdown passes in a single season (49 in 2004), most consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing (6 from 1999 through 2004), and most seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career (7). His career 94.4 passing rating in the NFL ranks first among active QB's with at least 1,500 passing attempts, and second all-time to Steve Young's 96.8. Manning has thrown for 275 touchdowns in his career (ranking him seventh all-time), and has thrown for a total of 37,586 yards in his career (ranking him thirteenth all-time).

High school career

At Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, Manning started three consecutive seasons at quarterback. He threw for 7,207 yards and 92 touchdowns, leading his team to a 34-5 record. Manning was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Louisiana.

College career

Because of his father's legacy at Ole Miss, Peyton Manning stunned many when he chose to attend and play for the University of Tennessee. Manning would become Tennessee's all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards, 863 completions and 89 touchdowns, while compiling a 39-6 record as a starter, setting an SEC record for career wins (although Georgia's David Greene would set a new record of 42 wins in 2005). In his college career, he threw only 33 interceptions in 1,381 attempts, an NCAA record for best all-time interception percentage. He was 3-1 in his four bowl appearances. Although after three years he had completed his degree, a BA in speech communication with a 3.61 GPA and Phi Beta Kappa honors, and was projected to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft, Manning returned to Tennessee for his senior year. Despite an early season loss to archrival Florida, Manning put up even more impressive numbers in his last season (3,819 yards, 36 touchdowns) in leading the Vols to the SEC title and finished second in 1997 Heisman Trophy voting to the University of Michigan's Charles Woodson. Manning received the 1997 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. In 2005, Tennessee retired Manning's number, making him only the 3rd Tennessee player to have his number retired while still living. Also, one of the streets leading to Neyland Stadium has been re-named Peyton Manning Pass.

College awards

• 1997 Davey O'Brien Award - Awarded to the Nation's Top Senior Quarterback
• 1997 Johnny Unitas Award - Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback
• 1997 Maxwell Award - Nation's Top Player
• 1997 College Football All-America Team
• 1997 James E. Sullivan Award - Awarded by the Amateur Athletic Union to the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States
• 1997 Today's Top VIII Award - honors eight outstanding senior student-athletes
• 1997 SEC Championship MVP
• 1997 Capital One Bowl Overall MVP

Professional career

Manning was selected first overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts and has started every game in his NFL career, missing only one snap due to injury despite sustaining injuries as serious as a broken jaw inflicted by defensive end Lorenzo Bromell . He was the NFL co-MVP in 2003, sharing the honor with then Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. In 2004, Manning became the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time, signing a $99.2m contract for seven years with a $34.5m signing bonus, which averages out to $14.17m annually. Under the contract, Manning is also eligible to earn an extra $19m in incentives.

In scouting reports, Manning is known as a "pure" pocket passer rather than a "scrambler." Manning is well known for his frantic hand gestures and shouting before the play while calling out audibles.

1998-1999 season

Peyton Manning was the first draft pick of the 1998 NFL Draft, selected by Indianapolis, and started immediately for the team. Manning passed for 3,739 with 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He set five different NFL rookie records, including most touchdown passes in a season and was named to the NFL All-Rookie First Team. Despite this, the Colts only finished 3-13.

1999-2000 season

Prior to the beginning of the season, the Colts selected Edgerrin James during the NFL draft. Manning and James turned the Colts franchise around, leading the team to a 13-3 record, an AFC East championship, and the play-offs. One of the team's three losses, however, was to now-rival New England. The Colts led 28-7 at halftime, but ultimately lost, 31-28. Manning passed for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdown passes, as the team earned a first round bye as the AFC's second seed, behind Jacksonville. In the playoffs, however, the Colts fell 19-16 to the Super Bowl bound Tennessee Titans. Manning completed 19 of 43 passes with no touchdowns.

2003-2004 season

Manning threw for 4,267 yards and 29 touchdowns during the regular season, assisting his team to a 12-4 record despite having a defense that ranked only 20th in the NFL in points allowed (336). Manning then went on to lead his team to a 41-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in the wildcard playoff round, his first playoff win after 3 first round losses in the past 3 seasons. He completed 22 of 26 passes for 377 yards and 5 touchdowns in the game, earning him a perfect 158.3 Passer Rating. Then in the divisional playoffs, Manning led the Colts to a 38 - 31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the first puntless game in NFL playoff history, throwing for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns, and earning an impressive 138.8 passer rating. However, Manning was shut down by the New England Patriots defense in the AFC title game, as he posted the third lowest passer rating of his career at 35.5. The Patriots defense intercepted Manning four times (three of them by Ty Law) and held Manning's offense to just 14 points as the Colts lost the game 24 - 14.

2004-2005 season

In 2004, Manning had one of the greatest regular seasons in NFL history, putting up 4,557 yards, a 121.1 quarterback rating, and 49 touchdowns, surpassing the record for TD passes in a season (48) held by Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino for two decades. His quarterback rating in 2004 also surpassed the previous single-season mark of 112.8 set by Hall of Fame San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young. In addition to his individual achievements, Manning also led the Colts to a 12-4 record and their second consecutive AFC South division title. As a result, he was a near-unanimous selection for the 2004 NFL MVP in drawing 49 of 50 votes (Michael Vick received one vote), was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year respectively. However, the Colts' 2004 season ended in Foxborough for a second straight year with a 20 - 3 loss in the AFC Divisional Playoff game against New England when Manning played his worst game of the year, recording a season-low passer rating of 69.3 and posting a season-low 3 points of offense. It was Manning's seventh consecutive loss to the Patriots in Foxborough, MA. The Colts' three points were their lowest single game point total since their opening game of the 2003 season.

2005-2006 season

AFC quarterback Peyton Manning, during the 2006 Pro Bowl in Hawaii

In 2005 the Colts had a greatly improved defense over that of recent years. In week 15, the Colts had a perfect 13-0 record, and had secured the AFC South, home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and a first round bye. Nevertheless, Tony Dungy made the decision to play all of his regular starters against the Chargers in the hopes of keeping his team sharp for the playoffs. However, the Colts played a sub-par game against the Chargers and fell short of the win; the score was 26-17. 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.

On January 15, 2006, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the RCA Dome for the second AFC divisional playoff game of the 2005 season. The Steelers shocked most fans and analysts by gaining a 14-3 lead by halftime. In the 4th quarter the Colts were almost able to pull off an improbable comeback, after a series of unlikely (and controversial) events. 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). 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 play the ball was handed off to Bettis who fumbled the ball. It was 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, he inexplicably cut to the center of the field where Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was running backwards hoping to get into position to tackle. He managed to dive in front of Harper and tackle him by the leg, saving a touchdown. The Colts drove down the field from their own 42 yard line to the Steelers 27 yard line, before Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal as time ran out. (It was the first time a 6th seeded team would eventually go on to win the Super Bowl when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.)

Peyton came in second in voting for the 2005 MVP award to Shaun Alexander (19 to 13, out of 50 voters), ending his streak at two years. He was named the 2005 winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. He was also nominated for the 2005 FedEx Air Player of the Year Award, along with Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, the winner of the award. The two runners up were both also quarterbacks for the Pro Bowl that year.

2006-2007 season

The Colts started 9-0 but finished the season with a 12-4 record and got the third seed in the playoffs. Manning had a good season, throwing for over 30 touchdowns, over 4000 yards, and leading the NFL in Quarterback rating. Besides that, by throwing 31 TD passes and only 9 interceptions he became the second quarterback in league history (the other one is Donovan McNabb) to throw over 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a single season. Manning's Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs on January 6 by a score of 23 to 8. The Colts won their Divisional Playoff game on Saturday, January 13, 2007 by the score of 15-6 against the Baltimore Ravens. Adam Vinatieri tied an NFL record with 5 field goals in a playoff game. The Colts will play the New England Patriots on Sunday, January 21, 2007 for the AFC Championship. The Colts have home field advantage because they were the #3 seed and won the tiebreaker with New England because they beat them earlier in the year. Currently, the Colts trail 21-6 with 9:58 left in the third quarter.

NFL awards

• 1998 NFL All-Rookie First Team
• 2001 Week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2003 Week 4 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2003 Week 15 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2003 Co-MVP (Steve McNair)
• 2003 Bert Bell Award
• 2004 Offensive Player of the Year
• 2004 Week 3 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2004 Week 10 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2004 Week 12 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2004 Week 16 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2004 November AFC Offensive Player of the Month
• 2004 MVP
• 2004 Bert Bell Award
• 2005 Week 9 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2005 Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award
• 2005 Pro Bowl MVP
• 2005 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
• 2006 Week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2006 Week 7 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 2006 October AFC Offensive Player of the Month

Debate and criticism

Manning has been criticized for being unable to win "big games", as his postseason record is 5–6. While many commentors have put this in context by pointing out that the Colts have lacked the caliber of defense that often wins postseason games, Manning's critics, including Boomer Esiason, have compared Manning to Hall of Famer Dan Marino (who is regarded as being a great statistical quarterback who never won a Super Bowl).

Amongst active quarterbacks, Manning is most often compared to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady's statistics, while impressive in their own right, do not meet the record-setting level that Manning has established. Brady, however, has won 3 Super Bowls while posting a career 12-1 postseason record, best in NFL history. On the other hand, as Manning's supporters often note, Brady has been supported by great defenses in his Super Bowl runs, whereas Manning's offense is counted on to shoulder most of the load for the Colts. Manning has, however, had the luxury of superstar wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, and RB Edgerrrin James for much of his career while Brady is considered to be the only offensive star for the Patriots. The Manning-Brady debate has evoked comparisons to the Marino-Montana debate of the 1980's.

In 2006, the ESPN Classic show The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... had an episode on Manning's purported inability to win big games.

Following the Colts' 2006 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Manning drew criticism for post-game statements that seemed to shift the blame to his offensive line. Manning stated that, "I'm trying to be a good teammate here.... let's just say we had some problems with protection." Manning was sacked five times in that game. Manning's big game losses date back to his college days at Tennessee. As a starter, Manning had an 0-3 record against the University of Florida. A common misconception is that he was 0-4; however, he came off the bench as a freshman, so the 1994 loss was not 'his', as he was not the starting quarterback.

"Big game" criticism has come from examples such as Manning's first start against Florida in 1995, in which the Tennessee defense gave up 62 while Manning and the rest of the offense put 37 points on the board. In 1996, another high scoring affair ended in Florida's favor, 35-29. Manning's Tennessee team was defeated by Nebraska 42-17 in the 1998 Orange Bowl. However, Manning and Tennessee did also win three other bowl games: the Gator Bowl in 1994 and two Citrus Bowls in 1995 and 1996.

In the 2002 postseason, facing a higher-seeded 9-7 Jets team on the road, Manning threw two interceptions and had a career low 31.2 passer rating. The next year, he faced New England in the 2003 AFC Championship Game and threw four interceptions with a passer rating of 35.5. A year later, he faced the Patriots again, and the Colts scored three offensive points. After the endgame in 2003, Mike Vanderjagt called Manning out for his failure to win the big game, resulting in Manning's response at the 2003 Pro Bowl, referring to Vanderjagt as "our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off." [2]

Scandals

In 1996, while he was still quarterback at the University of Tennessee, Manning was involved 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.[3] The University of Tennessee chose to settle the lawsuit with Naughright (then named Jamie Whited) for $300,000.

College records

Tennessee records

• Passing attempts in a game: 65 vs. Florida in 1996
• Completions in a game: 37 vs. Florida in 1996
• Most plays in a game: 70 vs. Florida in 1996
• Most yards in a game: 508 vs. Kentucky in 1997
• Most TD passes in a game: 5 vs. Texas Tech, Kentucky in 1997
• Most consecutive completions in a game: 12 vs. Kentucky in 1997
• Passing attempts in a Season: 477 in 1997
• Completions in a Season: 287 in 1997
• Passing yards in a season 3,819 in 1997
• Highest completion percentage in a season (Minimum 30 attempts): 64.2% in 1995
• Lowest intercetion percentage in a season:: 1.05% in 1995
• Most 300 yard passing games in a season: 9 in 1997
• Most consecutive passes without an interception in a season: 132
• Most offensive plays in a season: 538 in 1997
• Most passing yards in a career: 11,201
• Most career passing attempts: 1,381
• Most career completions: 863
• Most wins as starter: 39
• Most career TD passes: 89
• Most career TDs: 101
• Most career 500 Yard passing games: 1
• Most career 400 Yard passing games: 3
• Most career 300 Yard passing games: 18
• Most career 200 Yard passing games: 30
• Most consecutive 300 yard passing games: 7
• Highest career completion percentage: 62.49%
• Lowest career interception percentage: 2.39%
• Most career offensive yards: 11,020
• Most career offensive plays: 1,534

SEC records

• Most Completions in a Career: 863
• Ratio of Interceptions to Attempts in a Season (Minimum 300 Attempts): 1:95 in 1995
• Most Career Passing Yards: 11,201
• Most Career Offense: 11,020
• Highest completion percentage: 62.49%
• Lowest career interception percentage: 2.39%
• Most career 300+ yard games: 18

NFL records

Career (individual)

Manning holds a number of individual career records:

• Seasons with 4,000+ yards: 7, 1999–2004, 2006
• Consecutive seasons with 4,000+ yards: 6, from 1999–2004
• Consecutive seasons with 25+ TD passes: 9, from 1998-2006 (current)
• Games with perfect passer rating: 4 (includes 1 playoff game; most perfect games of any QB since passer rating was created by the NFL in 1973)
• Manning has started every game since he has been in the NFL, a streak currently at 144 games, the longest career-opening streak for a QB. (current)
• TDs per game, highest for QB
• Yds per game, highest for QB
• Points per game, highest for QB
• Only quarterback to make every start of his career since being drafted.
• Highest percentage of games with at least one touchdown, at 88% (current).

Rookie records

• Most passes attempted in a season: 575
• Most passes completed in a season: 326
• Most yards gained in a season: 3,739
• Most Touchdown Passes in a season: 26
• Most Consecutive games with a Touchdown: 13

2004 season

During the 2004 season Manning broke several single season passing records, including:

• Touchdowns: 49 (previously held by Dan Marino with 48 in 1984)
• Passer rating: 121.1 (previously held by Steve Young with 112.8 in 1994)
• Consecutive games with at least 4 TD passes: 5 (previously held by Marino with 4 TDs in 4 consecutive games in 1984)
• 5 TD passes in 4 different games in less than 12 months (previously held by Marino)
• First QB to throw 10+ TD passes to each of 3 different receivers in 1 season (14, Marvin Harrison; 12, Reggie Wayne; 10, Brandon Stokley). The Colts are the only team ever to have 3 WRs with 10+ TDs in 1 season.
• Although not an NFL record, Manning threw 6 TD passes in a little over a half against the Detroit Lions on November 25, 2004. It was the second time in his career that Manning achieved this (also in 2003), and he has been the only NFL player to throw 6 TDs in a regular season game since 1991. [4]

With Marvin Harrison

Manning and Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison hold a number of QB-WR tandem records:

• Completions: 677 (set in 2004; previously held by Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly and WR Andre Reed)
• Yards: 10,253 (as of November 132005; previously held by Kelly and Reed)
• Touchdowns: 106 (as of December 312006; previous record was 85 by San Francisco 49ers QB Steve Young and WR Jerry Rice), broken on October 172005

Miscellaneous

Manning's family was neighbors with novelist Anne Rice and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails during his early years.

Manning helped establish the Peyback Foundation - an organization designed to help underprivileged children all over America.

Manning has said that his best friend outside of football is former Indiana Pacer legend Reggie Miller.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

• 4,890 passes attempted
• 3,131 passes completed
• 37,586 passing yards
• 275 passing touchdowns
• 139 passes intercepted
• 92-52 record as a starter
• 35.2 passes attempted per interception
• 94.4 quarterback rating (2nd all-time)
• 7 Pro Bowl appearances, counting 2007

Postseason

• 390 passes attempted
• 238 passes completed
• 2,899 passing yards
• 16 passing touchdowns
• 13 passes intercepted
• 5-6 postseason record
• 30 passes attempted per interception

Manning in advertising

Manning has become one of the NFL's most marketable players, appearing in several television and printed advertisements for some of the NFL's biggest sponsors. Manning is recognized as a pitchman for the following companies: Sprint, MasterCard, Gatorade, DirecTV, and the American Red Cross.

See also

• List of NFL first overall draft choices

External links

• Official web site
• Stats & career notes at official Web site of the Indianapolis Colts
• Peyton Manning at ESPN.com
• Template:Pro-football-reference
• Biography at Kidzworld.com