"The Sheriff" is officially retiring from his post. As of today, the 6th of March, 2016, Peyton Manning, at the age of 39, is retiring from the NFL. The Denver Broncos gave him until this coming Wednesday to make a decision as to whether he would retire or give it another go at an NFL season. Well, after much anticipation from Broncos fans and general NFL fans, he has announced that he will retire from the NFL. He is retiring with nothing short of a showcase cabinet full of records and memories. After 18 seasons, two teams, five MVPs and two Super Bowl titles, he deserves all the recognition he'll be getting for years to come. But if you're a young reader, you only remember Manning from the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. Let me enlighten you as to where Manning came from and how he formed his legacy of one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks in history.
Peyton's beginning: Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, his father, Archie Manning, was also a star quarterback in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings. Following in his father's footsteps, Peyton attended Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans where, as a starter, he had a record of 34-5. He received many awards while playing at Newman including the Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year.
Peyton's college career with the Volunteers: Peyton went on to college not as a starter but as a third string quarterback with the Tennessee Volunteers. But after injuries to the first two quarterbacks, Manning had to fill in. Even though Manning finished his degree in three years and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication and was projected to be a high pick in the NFL draft, he came back for his senior year to play with the Volunteers. As a senior, Manning won first-team All American, the Best College Player ESPY and many other awards.
Indianapolis Colts: Manning became the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft and went to the Indianapolis Colts. Through Manning's 13 seasons with the Colts, he received the MVP award four times (during the 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009 seasons). He also made two Super Bowl appearances. The first appearance was in 2006, when he played his younger brother Eli Manning and won 26-21. His second Super Bowl appearance happened in 2009 against the New Orleans Saints but he lost 31-17. But once the 2011 season rolled around, Manning suffered a severe neck injury that required two surgeries. After not playing a single game in the 2011 season, the Colts had a number one pick in the 2012 NFL draft which included current Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. It was then, March 7, 2012 that the Colts let Peyton Manning go from the organization.
Denver Broncos: While many were unsure about whether Manning would ever play again due to the neck injury, he came back to prove us wrong. On March 20, 2012, he signed a $96 million contract with the Denver Broncos. During his first season with a new team, Manning took the Broncos to the playoffs but lost in double overtime to the Baltimore Ravens. But the next three seasons were star seasons for Manning and the Broncos. The 2013 season welcomed Manning with his fifth MVP and a Super Bowl appearance. Even though they lost the Super Bowl by a large margin to the Seattle Seahawks, the upcoming season would erase the bittersweet Super Bowl loss. The 2014 season could be deemed the year of record breaking. Manning broke two records. The first was for beating all 32 teams in the NFL and the second was for throwing his 500th career touchdown. He also tied Dan Marino for the most 400 yard games in the NFL. He became the NFL's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with his 509th.
The 2015 season is one we will all remember. While Manning didn't play his best personal game, the Broncos defense picked up the slack, and Peyton was okay with that. He often praises them for winning their games. It was the 50th Super Bowl, and Manning and the Broncos beat Cam Newton and the Panthers 24-10.
Since then, we've been wondering if Manning would retire, if the Super Bowl was Manning's last rodeo. Personally, I'm glad he's retiring, not because he's too good and he's hell for some of my favorite teams but because he has created a football career that is a force in itself to be reckoned with. He's going out on a high note. He won a Super Bowl with one of the best teams the NFL has seen in years. He is among the elites like Dan Marino, Steve Young, Bart Starr and Brett Favre. He is a true Bronco, tough and resilient, ready to ride off into the sunset.
