January 21, 2007. This was the day I first fell in love with Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis Colts were facing the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. I was sitting at home, on the couch, watching the game with my mum. I was nine years old at the time. By halftime, the score was 21-3, Patriots. The game was looking bleak for the Colts. It was then that my young, cynical self turned to my mum and remarked, “Wow. The Colts are losing really badly. They might as well just give up, there’s no coming back from that when Tom Brady has the upper hand.” Which, in my defense, is a perfectly rational statement. Tom Brady was and continues to be one the greatest quarterbacks to ever grace the NFL. What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that Peyton Manning was too.
“Hey, don’t be so sure!” My mum warned me. “There is always a possibility of a comeback. Don’t count the Colts out just yet.” In the moment I just brushed my mum off; what I didn’t grasp, however, was how true her words were. The Colts made a remarkable comeback, scoring 15 points in the third quarter, then 17 points in the fourth, ending the game 34-38, sending the Colts to the Super Bowl. It was the biggest comeback in conference title game history. At the head of this comeback was no other than Peyton Manning. And I am positive that there was no nine-year-old in the nation more in awe of him at the moment than I was.
Since then, I have faithfully followed his career, defending him to critics and praising him to anyone who would listen. And since then, Manning has yet to let me down, even after a major neck surgery. He has continued to surpass those before him, breaking more and more records every year. As of now, his current record compilation is as follows:
- NFL career passing touchdown record, 509 touchdowns
- Single-season touchdown record, 55 touchdowns
- Most games throwing for 300+ yards, 86 games
- Most passing touchdowns in a single game, 7 touchdowns
- Most games with a passing rating higher than 105, 92 games
- Most games with a perfect passer rating (158.3), 5 games
- Most seasons with 350+ completions, 9 seasons
- Most passing yards in a single season, 5,477 yards
- Highest completion percentage in a postseason game with 450+ yards, 81.8%
- Most consecutive seasons with 25+ touchdowns, 15 seasons
- Alongside Brett Favre, he is one of two quarterbacks to ever beat all 32 teams
- Highest yards-per-game, 342.31yards
- Most games completing 80% passing, 16 games
- Most seasons passing for 4,000+ yards, 13 seasons
- Overall leading passer, 71,940 yards
Plus, with his win at Super Bowl 50, Manning edged Brett Favre out for most game wins in a single career, ending the 2015-16 season with a total of 200 wins. Now, Manning’s next move is unclear, for at 39 years old he is yet to announce whether or not he will retire. Whether he decides to hang up his helmet for good, or to step out on the field once more, it is no question that Manning is one of the greatest athletes to ever step out on the green, either in a Colts’ jersey or a Broncos' one. Not only is he an amazing player, but he is a stand-up guy as well, exemplifying good sportsmanship and what it means to be a role model.
I will never forget the day I fell in love with Peyton Manning, because that was also the day that I fell in love with the sport of football. Most people do not get the opportunity to see a legend play in their prime, or realize it when they do. However, I, along with the rest of my generation, got to witness the greatness embodied by Peyton Manning. I will forever be thankful for all the "omahas" I got to witness and for the passion he had for the game that spilled into me.
