There is no “I” in team… Peyton Manning’s Legacy
I have followed Peyton Manning for a long time, back to the days when he wore the orange and white of the Tennessee Volunteers to the time he was drafted into the NFL. Manning has always been a mental quarterback, he studies the game better than anyone and he looks to make himself better every year. His study habits are well known by everyone in the league and his competitive nature is seen every time he steps onto the field. There was a time early in his career when he couldn’t adjust to defenses and when it was difficult for him to read coverage, but through out his career he has learned to study on the field and make adjustments on the field. He is the most cerebral quarterback in the game and every year he only gets better and for opposing defenses’ that is a scary thought. Think about what he was working with on offense, Garcon an unknown until this season, Collie a rookie receiver out of BYU, old reliable Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark and he took this team, with a lack of a running game, to the biggest stage in the NFL.
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Manning has had the microscope on him since he began winning in Indianapolis, there were questions like ‘why can’t he beat New England’, ‘why can’t he win the big one’, ‘will he be a hall of famer with out a championship’ and after he wins the big one and wins the Super Bowl MVP after this game there is now questions about his legacy? His legacy, really, he has won the regular season MVP four times more than anyone else, he is in the top 10 in every quarterback category and he has the championship (that some say he needs to validate his career) what more does he need to do? Nothing! He goes out every week to win the game, he plays hard and expects the best out of his team, he pushes those around him to be better and that is the captain of your football team. Someone who makes no excuses when they lose and someone who gives credit to others when they win, he is the consummate professional on and off the field.
Peyton Manning’s legacy, a proven winner that played the game with tremendous heart and passion; the most cerebral quarterback in the game, ever, with an unbelievable knack of making in-game adjustments better than anyone in the game. While others may criticize or question we must understand that in football there is no “I” in team and it takes a team to win the game no matter how great the player may be, but Manning is content to take the heat because his shoulders are big enough to shoulder that burden. Just know he has my vote for greatest of all-time and he in my mind is a first ballot hall of famer.
By: Sam Adams
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer