I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional in the final minutes of the Super Bowl. I am not a crier, and just for the record, no tears were created in this emotional moment of mine, but I realized in those final minutes that it would be the last time (probably) I would ever see my favorite athlete and one of the most inspirational figures in the history of football to ever take the field.

I have always loved sports and no one even comes close to how highly I regard Peyton, not only as a team player but also as a person. Now I know that my feelings aren’t unique because everyone loves Peyton. Even if you were never an Indy fan or a Bronco fan, I truly believe that if you love the game of football, there is a part of you that rooted for Peyton this past Sunday because, well, he’s Peyton Manning.

I remember the first time I ever watched Peyton. I was a little fourth grader watching football with my dad on a Sunday afternoon. My dad was a big Peyton fan and he taught me everything I needed to know about him in five minutes. But that wasn’t enough, so I bought a book about him (because why not read a book about Peyton Manning?) and before you knew, it I had a fathead of him in my room.

To me, last week’s Super Bowl should really be renamed Peyton Bowl because it seemed like everything was working in his favor. The two incredible defenses made the game a nail bitter, and maybe even a little frustrating for fans, but there were vibes and tones that carried through the stadium, the media, and the football world that this could be it. And it will probably be it. So let’s wish the Sheriff well. While watching the game on Sunday, a few stats came up that spoke to Peyton’s history in the game:

1. The oldest QB to start and win a Super Bowl.

2. First starting QB in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.

3. First QB to win 200 games as a starter, including the playoffs.

4. Most touchdown passes.

5. Five MVP awards.

6. Most passing yards.

7. Two-time Super Bowl winner.

While stats are great because they add substance to your argument against your buddy who is sadly a Patriots fan (aka worships Brady … blah), Peyton’s legacy will not be grounded in numbers. He adds a lot more to the game of football. I have heard many times from my dad and his generation that the game is faster and more complex than when they were playing in their glory years. It makes the competition more intense and it often leads us to focus more and more on the next big play. I think Peyton reigns us back in and reminds us about the game. It’s a game of toughness, not the antics that we see from the players every week. Football requires seriousness and preparation. Peyton’s success a lot of the time came from knowing his opponent better than his opponent knew himself. And that doesn’t happen from studying a few plays or watching a few hours of footage. You have to immerse yourself and diligently keep learning the other’s strengths and more importantly, their weaknesses. You have to dissect the opponent apart until there is nothing left to learn. Besides studying, you have to have class. And Peyton has that southern class that is so nice to see in a game that is home to some egos, unkind hearts, and selfish individuals. I know this is coming from a girl but after living in a house with three football fanatics, I self-appoint myself as a football scholar.

And when it comes down to it, no one can sum up the impact he will have on the game.

If someone asked you who Peyton Manning was, you might even be offended that they asked. But then you might even think, maybe I’m the dumb one because I don’t even know how to answer that question. He is one of those people that you just can’t sum up in a few words. “One of the best quarterbacks the game has ever seen” doesn’t seem to do him justice and it shouldn’t, because you can’t sum up 17 years just like that.