The best Peyton Manning stories you've never heard

[NannyMcafee]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.indystar.com/amp/731585001

 

Brandon Stokley (Colts wide receiver, 2003-06; Broncos wide receiver, 2012): Practice was grueling. I worked harder in Indy than I did anywhere else in the league. There were no days off, no take-it-easy days in Peyton Manning’s mind. Thursday practices were two, 2½ hours, and I’d wake up Friday more sore than I’d be on Monday after games. With Peyton, there was no gray area. If you didn’t do it his way, you wouldn’t be playing with him for very long.

He’ll deny this story to this day, but it happened. My first year in Indy we’re playing in Houston. I go in motion, run a route and he gets pressure on his backside and has to throw it away. He says he didn’t send me in motion, tells me I messed up the play. He gets all upset with me. All of a sudden, on the sideline, one of the coaches comes up to me and tells me I’m not going in the next series. He got me benched!

On the plane ride home (the Colts won 20-17), I ask him, “Why’d you have them bench me?” He says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He still denies it to this day. But come on. I was having a really good game before that. Was going to be the best game of my career to that point. I still give him a hard time about that one.

[csmopar]

This is why I really want Peyton as a coach.

[crazycolt1]

43 minutes ago, csmopar said:

This is why I really want Peyton as a coach.

Peyton has been asked time after time and always says the same thing. Not interested.

On JMV he wouldn't even make a comment on what he wanted to do after being ask about a GM job. He is only 41 and needs no money.

[Coffeedrinker]

I think the best Peyton Manning story is the apology letter he wrote to a referee after saying something "off color" to him during a Dolphins and Broncos game.

 

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/22/peyton-manning-apology-letter-to-referee/

 

It's one thing to be the greatest of all time in your chosen profession, it's another to admit a mistake and try to make it right.

[pgt_rob]

"Damnit Donald!"

[pgt_rob]

"Damnit Donald!"

[csmopar]

23 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

Peyton has been asked time after time and always says the same thing. Not interested.

On JMV he wouldn't even make a comment on what he wanted to do after being ask about a GM job. He is only 41 and needs no money.

Oh I know. It's a pure pipe dream at this point. 

[Gramz]

2 hours ago, NannyMcafee said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.indystar.com/amp/731585001

 

Brandon Stokley (Colts wide receiver, 2003-06; Broncos wide receiver, 2012): Practice was grueling. I worked harder in Indy than I did anywhere else in the league. There were no days off, no take-it-easy days in Peyton Manning’s mind. Thursday practices were two, 2½ hours, and I’d wake up Friday more sore than I’d be on Monday after games. With Peyton, there was no gray area. If you didn’t do it his way, you wouldn’t be playing with him for very long.

He’ll deny this story to this day, but it happened. My first year in Indy we’re playing in Houston. I go in motion, run a route and he gets pressure on his backside and has to throw it away. He says he didn’t send me in motion, tells me I messed up the play. He gets all upset with me. All of a sudden, on the sideline, one of the coaches comes up to me and tells me I’m not going in the next series. He got me benched!

On the plane ride home (the Colts won 20-17), I ask him, “Why’d you have them bench me?” He says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He still denies it to this day. But come on. I was having a really good game before that. Was going to be the best game of my career to that point. I still give him a hard time about that one.

Had the opportunity to meet Brandon last November.   Got to chat with he and Dallas Clark for a little while.  Both super nice, down to earth great guys.    Love this story here, and I'm taking Brandon at his word.    

[BR-549]

5 minutes ago, Gramz said:

Had the opportunity to meet Brandon last November.   Got to chat with he and Dallas Clark for a little while.  Both super nice, down to earth great guys.    Love this story here, and I'm taking Brandon at his word.    

Those guys were some of my favorite players.... we need more playmakers now like the two of them.  Hell, one would make me happy at this point.

[DaveA1102]

I liked the one Adam V told earlier today about how a tight end (I forget the player) was offside in a game, resulting in a penalty, and Peyton got so mad he told him to get off the field!

 

Anyway, they go on to be ahead at the end of the game and so are going with victory formation to close the game out, which this tight end is a part of, so he trots back onto the field. Peyton immediately tells him not to even think about it and sends him back to the sideline! 

 

Even for taking a knee, Peyton didn't want a guy on the field who had made such an elementary mistake. That's what made him the best himself, and brought the best out in others.

[The Peytonator]

There's too many to list but my favorite was him and Saturday going at it on the sidelines. Just shows the passion that both guys had for winning a game. They may have had a heated argument but they both wanted the same thing; to put points on the board. Plus Good Guy Tarik Glenn playing peacekeeper was pretty funny. I just loved that team. 

 

Second favorite moment was probably this iconic image. 

 

[IinD]

From Adam V...hysterical..

 

He didn't care who you were, Peyton would prank you if he could. We were at training camp one year and [former linebacker] Pat Angerer was here still. Peyton filled like a 50-gallon trash can with water and propped it up against his door and knocked on his door. Then a tidal wave of water went crashing into his room.

 

Jeff Saturday...another great one...

 

It was my first year playing with the team and Jim Mora made us dress up for the trips. As an undrafted rookie free agent, I didn't have a lot of money to buy clothes. I go to a suit place and get some pants and a jacket. I got it tailored and everything. I come on a Saturday, we had walk-through and then we were going to drive to the airport, but we would all go to lunch at Chili's before the flight. I shower after practice, and I put my pants on and they are tight. I mean tight. They're long and they're tight. I'm in the locker room and asking the guys in the locker room if my pants look tight. They told me everything looks all right. I couldn't go get them fixed because Jim Mora would leave you if you were late for the plane and it was my first time ever playing. I was scared of everything. [Offensive lineman] Adam Meadows goes down there and gets dressed and his pants were all short. I don't think anything of it. I'm more worried about flying with these supertight pants. I'm thinking they're going to rip. The guys are cracking jokes on me. We go to Chili's. We're sitting down and the guys are all laughing. Then it dawns on me, he switched the pants on me and Meadows. Peyton was going to let me roll on the plane wearing the snuggies. From then on, there was no trust. That started off Year 1 of me and Manning."