PEYTON MANNING RecentTitlesinGreenwoodBiographies Beyonc(cid:1)eKnowles:ABiography JaniceArenofsky HillaryClinton:ABiography DenaB.LevyandNicoleR.Krassas JohnnyDepp:ABiography MichaelBlitz JudyBlume:ABiography KathleenTracy NelsonMandela:ABiography PeterLimb LeBronJames:ABiography LewFreedman Tecumseh:ABiography AmyH.Sturgis Diana,PrincessofWales:ABiography MartinGitlin NancyPelosi:ABiography ElaineS.Povich BarackObama:ABiography JoAnnF.Price Sacagawea:ABiography AprilR.Summitt Yo-YoMa:ABiography JimWhiting EllenDeGeneres:ABiography LisaIannucci PEYTON MANNING A Biography Lew Freedman GREENWOODBIOGRAPHIES G P REENWOOD RESS AnImprintofABC-CLIO,LLC Copyright’2009byLewFreedman Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise,exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotationsinareview, withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Freedman,Lew. PeytonManning:abiography/LewFreedman. p. cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-0-313-35726-8(hardcopy:alk.paper)—ISBN978-0-313- 35727-7(ebook) 1.Manning,Peyton.2.Footballplayers—UnitedStates—Biography. Quarterbacks(Football)—UnitedStates—Biography.I.Title. GV939.M289F742009 796.332092—dc22 [B] 2009016111 13 12 11 10 09 1 2 3 4 5 ThisbookisalsoavailableontheWorldWideWebasaneBook. Visitwww.abc-clio.comfordetails. ABC-CLIO,LLC 130CremonaDrive,P.O.Box1911 SantaBarbara,California93116-1911 Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica CONTENTS SeriesForeword vii Introduction ix Timeline:EventsintheLifeofPeytonManning xiii Chapter1 SuperBowlKing 1 Chapter2 HisFavoriteToyWasaFootball 9 Chapter3 BecomingaQuarterback 23 Chapter4 RecruitingaHotCommodity 31 Chapter5 AFreshmanStarIsBornatTennessee 43 Chapter6 Everybody’sAll-American 55 Chapter7 TheBestintheCountry 67 Chapter8 AHotCommodityOnceAgain 81 Chapter9 RightintotheFire 97 Chapter10 BecomingtheBestintheBusiness 109 Chapter11 DreamsDoComeTrue 121 Chapter12 Fame,Glory,andLittleBrother 133 Appendix:PeytonManning’sProfessionalQuarterback PassingStatistics 147 SelectedBibliography 149 Index 153 Photoessayfollowspage66 This page intentionally left blank SERIES FOREWORD In response to high school and public library needs, Greenwood devel- oped this distinguished series of full-length biographies specifically for student use. Prepared by field experts and professionals, these engaging biographies are tailored for high school students who need challenging yet accessible biographies. Ideal for secondary school assignments, the length, format and subject areas are designed to meet educators’ requirements and students’ interests. Greenwood offers an extensive selection of biographies spanning all curriculum related subject areas including social studies, the sciences, literature and the arts, history and politics, as well as popular culture, covering public figures and famous personalities from all time periods and backgrounds, both historic and contemporary, who have made an impact on American and/or world culture. Greenwood biographies were chosen based on comprehensive feedback from librarians and edu- cators. Consideration was given to both curriculum relevance and in- herent interest. The result is an intriguing mix of the well known and the unexpected, the saints and sinners from long-ago history and con- temporary pop culture. Readers will find a wide array of subject choices from fascinating crime figures like Al Capone to inspiring pioneers like Margaret Mead, from the greatest minds of our time like Stephen Hawking to the most amazing success stories of our day like J. K. Rowling. While the emphasis is on fact, not glorification, the books are meant to be fun to read. Each volume provides in-depth information about viii SERIESFOREWORD the subject’s life from birth through childhood, the teen years, and adulthood. A thorough account relates family background and educa- tion, traces personal and professional influences, and explores struggles, accomplishments, and contributions. A timeline highlights the most significant life events against a historical perspective. Bibliographies supplement the reference value of each volume. INTRODUCTION From the moment Peyton Manning arrived in the National Football League at the start of the 1998 season, he has been a numbers machine, completing passes at a dazzling rate and throwing touchdowns at a pinball-machine clip. Football fans, Indianapolis Colt teammates, and NFLfoesalikehavebeeninaweofwhatManning’srightarmhaswrought. There was no waiting period before the 6-foot-5, 230-pound quarter- back blossomed. He was an instant star. Manning had been an All- American passing leader for the University of Tennessee and was the number 1 overall draft pick in the NFL collegiate draft, so there were high expectations from the first moment that Manning pulled on his blue and white Colts uniform. Yet while stardom is often predicted of rookies, there is usually a break-in period, an adjustment period, and this is especially true for quarterbacks. Manning defied the odds by stepping into his role immediately to lead the Colts’ offense. He did make his share of newcomer mistakes, but the majority of the time he was as poised as any veteran. It had been said that growing up as the son of Archie Manning, a former col- legiate and professional star, in a family of quarterbacks and football players, Peyton Manning was as ready-made for the NFL as any player could be. Overnight, he proved the sages correct. The apprenticeship of a National Football League quarterback is nor- mally considered to rival the education of a medical doctor, with the belief that neither is qualified to operate safely until a few years pass. While playing football can be downplayed with the phrase ‘‘It ain’t