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February 9, 2021 By: Woody Paige

Woody Paige: A tribute to Hall of Famer Peyton Manning

Four days and almost 45 years in Peyton Manning’s lifetime have altered the course of his and football history.

The culmination was the official pronouncement Saturday night that Manning, whose priorities always have been “Faith, Family, Friends and Football’’ had been selected to the Pro Football Hall of “Fame.’’

In August 1988, 12-year-old Manning, named Peyton by dad, Archie, after an uncle and called “Peytie-pie” by mom, Olivia, tried out for the Isidore Newman School seventh-grade team. He had played in the yard of the family’s New Orleans Garden District home and during school recess. “I was equipment manager for two years for the high school team Cooper played for,’’ he told me rather proudly in our conversation the other day.

On the form Peyton filled out, he wrote what positions he wanted to play: “Quarterback, safety.’’

Imagine if Manning played safety instead.

Coaches put Peyton at quarterback, which made sense because his older brother was a quarterback, and Archie had been an NFL quarterback for 14 years.

Peyton revealed in our talk that Archie will introduce him Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio, at the Hall of Fame inductions. Younger brother, Eli Manning, will become eligible in 2024.

Peyton, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in his first game, was an astonishing quarterback for 27 years.

As a high school quarterback, Peyton received a letter from Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, and it was the first time he believed he might become a college quarterback.

In March 1997, the Tennessee quarterback announced that instead of turning professional, he would return for his senior season. “A scout came to practice and asked if I was going pro after my junior year. I didn’t even know then you could do that,’’ and it was the first time he thought he might be an NFL quarterback, he told me this past week.

Peyton was projected as the cinch No. 1 overall draft choice by the Jets if he did come out. Archie had been chosen second in the ’71 draft by the Saints. “I was told the Jets might pick me. Bill Parcells was the coach, and the defensive coordinator was Bill Belichick.’’

Imagine if Manning played in New York for Parcells and, ye gads, Belichick.

“Going back to Tennessee was one of the best decisions of my life,’’ Manning says. He didn’t feel ready to be a rookie in the NFL. As it was, Peyton was the No. 1 pick the in 1998 by the Colts. “We went 3-13 the first season and 13-3 the next season.’’ His first playoff victory was against the Broncos in 2003.

In March 2012 Manning chose to join the Broncos as a free agent, saying now he had “done my homework’’ on the Broncos’ players and was attracted by John Elway and John Fox; Denver was the first city he visited during his tour, and he felt comfortable, and offensive coaches Mike McCoy and Adam Gase were willing to install the Colts’ system, adding some concepts. Peyton didn’t have to start over.

Manning would continue rehabilitating from his neck surgeries for a miraculous comeback and set the NFL record in 2013 for passing yards and touchdown passes. He would reach two more Super Bowls (four total).

In the 2015 postseason Manning became the oldest quarterback (at 39, a year older than John Elway) until then to start and win a Super Bowl.

Sunday was the fifth anniversary of Manning’s retirement game.

Peyton’s earliest NFL memory, he told me, was from the late ’70s when he attended Saints games at the Superdome with his brother and his mom as his dad played. “Cooper and I would go in the locker room afterward, and they had Hershey bars in players lockers. We would take a bunch that were left. We’d grab all the tape the players cut off and make it into the shape of a football and go out on the field and play a 100-yard game.’’

Archie once related to me that he looked up in the stadium during a game and saw Cooper and Peyton wearing “Ain’ts’’ paper bags over their heads like the fans.

Peyton played on just two losing teams — in his NFL rookie season and his fourth year in Indianapolis.

Peyton learned of his election to the Hall of Fame in surprising fashion Jan. 22, at the stadium in Denver where he concluded his extraordinary home career with a victory over Belichick, Tom Brady, and the Patriots in the AFC Championship.

He was asked by producers of his popular ESPN show “Peyton’s Place’’ to go to Mile High to add several sound bites to the next show. As he stood in the end zone, out of the tunnel came three of his former NFL head coaches — Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and Gary Kubiak — and his Tennessee coach and offensive coordinator — Phillip Fulmer and David Cutcliffe. All had flown into Denver to honor and congratulate Peyton.

A special guest materialized. David Baker, CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, informed Manning he was approved for a permanent bust in Canton in his first year. He became the second Denver quarterback to be voted in. Elway was the first on his inaugural ballot, too.

Manning, who admitted he had become very emotional @Mile High, turned to see his twin children — Mosley, wearing a No. 18 Broncos jersey, and Marshall in a No. 18 Colts jersey.

Finally, on the giant scoreboard screen, Peyton received video messages from his high school coach Tony Reginelli, former Colts coach Jim Mora Sr., ex-Colts and Broncos coach Tom Moore (who is on the Buccaneers staff at the Super Bowl) and former Broncos coach Fox, sidelined from the Denver trip by COVID-19 symptoms (from which he has recovered).

The group went off to Shanahan’s Steakhouse for lunch.

I asked Peyton for an assessment of the quarterback situation in the NFL just before the 55th Super Bowl between the old (Brady) and the young (Patrick Mahomes).

“The state of the quarterbacks is great. Coaches are adapting to their abilities rather the reverse. I remember several years ago when it was said that pocket quarterbacks (like Manning and Brady) would be extinct.”

Peyton and Tom Brady forever will be linked for their rivalry and their lifelong achievement awards and their friendship. Last Sunday, Brady was on the stage at the Super Bowl, but last Saturday night, once more Manning was back front and center.

The history of football on all levels can’t be put to paper without an entire chapter on Peyton Williams Manning — who is among the best there ever was.