Peyton Manning: Age, height, weight, marriage, controversies, personal life, career

Peyton Manning, a former professional football quarterback, set multiple records en route to winning five NFL MVP awards and two Super Bowls.

Peyton is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the older brother of former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. He is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. He was the only player in NFL history to win five MVP honours, as well as two Super Bowl titles. In March 2016, Manning announced his retirement from the NFL.

Early life

Peyton Williams Manning was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 24, 1976. Peyton Manning is the second of three boys and the son of veteran NFL quarterback Archie Manning, as well as the older brother of another long-time NFL quarterback, Eli Manning.

Peyton appeared destined to be a great quarterback almost from the moment he could pick up a football, fueled by a competitive fire that transcended even that of his two siblings. Manning led the football team at Isidore Newman High School to a 34-5 record, throwing for over 7,000 yards, and was widely regarded as the nation’s No. 1 football prospect in his senior year.

Manning transferred to the University of Tennessee in 1994, where he continued to dominate. Manning blasted opponents with a massive arm and pinpoint accuracy over his four-year career, setting 42 conference, school, and NCAA marks. In total, he threw for 11,201 yards, completed 863 passes, and scored 89 touchdowns. In addition to his athletic abilities, Manning, who stands 6’5″ and weighs 230 pounds, earned a reputation as a voracious student of the game.

Professional Career

NFL’s Indianapolis Colts

Manning was taken first overall in the NFL draught by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. Manning was swiftly accepted as a saviour by a franchise afflicted with a recent record of bad luck and plenty of losses.

His debut season, on the other hand, was far from ideal. Moments of brilliance were frequently followed by periods of hardship as Manning went through the expected growing pains. While setting NFL rookie marks for completions (326), attempts (575), passing yards (3,739), and touchdowns (26), he also threw a league-high 28 interceptions for a 3-13 squad.

Neck Surgery

Manning avoided injuries during the first 13 seasons of his career, starting every game at quarterback for the Colts. His streak of 227 consecutive starts ended on September 8, 2011, when he underwent a spinal fusion to fix a damaged nerve in his neck that had impaired his throwing arm. It was Manning’s third neck surgery in 19 months, and he missed the whole 2011 season as a result.

It also ended his career with the Colts. With their skipper on the sidelines, the Colts finished with the league’s poorest record, earning the team the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draught, which they used to choose Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The Colts released Manning to start over with their future quarterback. The former Colts quarterback signed a new five-year, $96 million contract with the Denver Broncos in March 2012.

Denver Broncos

When Manning returned to the field for the start of the 2012 season, he easily shrugged off any lingering rust and concerns about his health. He went on to lead the league in completion percentage while leading the Broncos to the AFC West title, earning him the AP comeback player of the year award.

As great as that season was, it was only a warm-up for a record-breaking 2013 campaign. Manning began the season by tying a league record with seven touchdown passes in one game, and he continued to put up big statistics week after week. By the end of the regular season, he had set new records for touchdowns (55) and throwing yards (5,477), easily earning him his sixth MVP honour. The Broncos made it to the Super Bowl, but they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks.

Manning set a new personal record in 2014 as he surpassed Brett Favre with his 509th career touchdown pass. The next year, he eclipsed Favre’s record of 71,838 passing yards against Kansas City in Week 10 but was benched for his bad performance. Manning’s career appeared to be coming to an end after he was slowed by a foot ailment.

Second Super Bowl Win and Retirement

However, the quarterback demonstrated that he had another comeback in him. He returned to the game in the second half of the regular-season finale, leading the Broncos to a victory that gave them the best record in the conference. After another thrilling triumph over Brady and the Patriots in the AFC title game, Manning finished the season in epic form with a victory over the favoured Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 in February 2016.

Manning announced his retirement from the NFL in March 2016. “I fought a good fight and now I finish my football race,” Manning stated during a press conference. “It’s finally time after 18 years. God bless every one of you, and God bless football.”

Post-football career

In retirement, Manning focused on his Payback Foundation and continued to appear on television as a pitchman. In 2019, he debuted the Emmy-nominated docuseries Peyton’s Places, which features his interviews with other notable players and coaches about football’s history and cultural significance.

Personal life

Manning married Ashley on March 17, 2001, on St. Patrick’s Day. In March 2011, she gave birth to twins, son Marshall Williams and daughter Mosley Thompson.

Read more: Peyton Manning net worth: How much does he earn and where does he spend his money?