An emotional Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement from pro football – and the Denver Broncos – on Monday during a packed and sometimes emotional news conference at the team’s headquarters in Englewood.
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And he watched as Dan Marino hit Lamar Thomas on a 16-yard skinny post on third-and-11.
“There’s something about 18 years; eighteen is a good number”, he said.
Manning reserved a brief mention for his long-time rival Tom Brady – the pair clashed 17 times in all as Brady’s New England Patriots faced first the Indianapolis Colts, with whom Manning spent the first 14 years of his career, and latterly the Broncos.
The team had just suffered a loss in Baltimore and Unitas approached Manning after the game and told him he was rooting for the rookie to succeed – and to stay at it. “Like winning at least 12 games 7 years in a row and of course winning Super Bowl XLI, and I was truly honored and proud to be a part of it”. “I’m on record as being a sore loser”, Cam said to reporters that following Tuesday. He responded, “I do too Mosley, and that’s what we’re going to try to do”. I’m not interested in re-litigating something that happened when I was 19 years old.
“I think he just wanted to let his guys know first, before the buzz got out there”.
Peyton Manning dejectedly walks off after greeting Dan Marino, his “favorite player” after his father, after the Dolphins defeated the Colts 24-15 in 1998 in Manning’s National Football League debut. “Every year, I pull for a rookie to break that record”.
According to Spotrac, an online database for sports salaries, Manning earned more than US$248 million (S$343.2 million) during his career, not including income from endorsements and off-field ventures.
“Peyton Manning utilized every asset that God gave him to be the best football player that he could be”, Elway said.
After Manning took the last of questions, he ended the news conference by saying one word.
“Peyton’s competitive fire and love of the game made him a legendary player who thrilled fans for a generation”.
Manning’s college coach, Phillip Fulmer, called it “almost magical” what Manning was able to accomplish in his four years in Denver following neck fusion surgery that threatened to short-circuit his career.
“Before you are quick to assume anything, what makes your way right?” the quarterback said of the people judging him and his teammates.
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Coach Gary Kubiak recalled how he and Manning had several private meetings after the quarterback was pulled in the second half of the Week 9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
