Elway was equally emotional when he walked away from the game after winning his second championship in 1999, and on Monday he said, “Having been through it, I know it’s a hard day for him”. “I hate losing. You show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser”.
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NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports have expressed interest in speaking with Manning about a possible venture into broadcasting, according to Michael McCarthy of Sporting News.
Manning, who turns 40 this month, said the timing was simply right to call an end to his 18-year National Football League career. For years he dominated statistically and first won a championship in 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998 to much fanfare.
After several months of speculation that Manning would retire following the Broncos victory in Superbowl 50, he made it official with a tearful announcement Monday morning.
Especially when it had to do with games against Manning’s beloved Tennessee Volunteers.
And while Goodell and Brady – among many others – have heaped praise on Manning, he downplayed his own skills.
“They should miss me because they sure did get a lot of wins off of me”, Manning said. “I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. That’s important to me. Because every moment, every drop of sweat, every bleary-eyed night of preparation, every note I took and every frame of film I watched was about one thing, reverence for this game.
Why is Manning getting a pass on the accusations at career’s end by Michael Cunningham.
Manning was also hit by a recent allegation that he had human growth hormone sent to his house in 2011 while he was recovering from neck surgery. He missed seven starts with a tear in the plantar fascia in his left foot. Manning said he indeed stuck with it and hoped Johnny U was wearing his signature black high tops and smiling down on him from up above.
Manning said he looked forward to the next chapter in his life, although he didn’t specify what he might do. “Had to take off during the season, which he’d never done before”. I thought he did a great job up there in his speech.
“I’m retiring as a football player from the University of Tennessee that played for the Colts and the Broncos and was very lucky to have played for all of them”. “I revere football, I love the game so you don’t have to wonder if I’ll miss it. Absolutely”.
While Peyton Manning was saying goodbye in Denver, his former Colts teammates were remembering him as a leader and a good person.
Manning’s retirement leaves the Broncos with $19 million in salary cap relief they can use to try to sign his long-time backup, Brock Osweiler, who’s set to become a free agent Wednesday.
His efforts in Denver culminated with a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in February’s Super Bowl, a game noted more for the play of Denver’s defense than Manning’s offense.
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“There’s no question that his work ethic is what made him into one of the great quarterbacks of all time”, Elway said.
