NFL's Peyton Manning: Great on and Off the Football Field

Peyton Manning has been a man among boys at the Quarterback position in the NFL his whole career. He is the most proficient and effective passer to grace the field in the past decade and maybe even in all of football history. He has consistently broken record after record on every level he has played. He is not only a passer but a play caller. He runs the offense like a conductor runs a train. Keeping it constantly moving down the tracks. There have been few quarterbacks to be considered the best ever. Peyton has done everything to deserve being named alongside the other historical greats. But this isn't about them. It's all about Manning and his affect on the NFL, the position of quarterback, and the world.

When you turn on the television there is a good chance you will see Manning. He is doing commercials for everything possible. He has become the M.J. of the NFL. His name is synonymous with football the same as Jordan is with basketball. Children imitate him and fans adore him. He's clean cut, responsible, and honorable. His good behavior has also trickled down to his teammates and the community around him. With all the negative light being shined on the NFL today it is a glorious thing to have standup guys like Manning in the league.

Peyton has succeeded on every possible level. While at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, he was the team's primary starter for threes consecutive seasons. He finished his high school career with 7,207 passing yards and 92 touchdowns. During that time, his team won 34 games and lost just five. He was named the Gatorade State of Louisiana Player of the year in 1993-94. While in college he became Tennessee's all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards, 863 completions and 89 touchdowns, while compiling a 39-6 record as a starter. In 1997 he received the James E. Sullivan Award naming him the best amateur athlete in the United States. In the NFL he started breaking records as a rookie and hasn't looked back. He became the starter for the Colts after being drafted first overall in 1998. He has started every game and only missed one snap due to injury despite suffering a broken jaw.

But with all his on field success he has not gained a big head like most people on his level. He stays out of trouble. He does his job. There is never a negative thing said about the man. The biggest scandal of his career came in 1996 when he mooned an assistant athletic trainer. Hopefully he won't strike again. On September 6, 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children's hospital to "Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent". Manning and his wife made a donation of an undisclosed amount to St. Vincent's and have had a relationship with the hospital since his arrival in Indianapolis. This shows his dedication to make the community around him better. I have been a fan of Peyton's since he wore the orange and white of the Rocky Top. I am honored to live in the Indianapolis area and have such a great role-model representing the good in sports. I applaud his greatness as a player and as a citizen.