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The Colts Influence
The Colts Influence
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Archie Manning
Elisha Archie Manning III (born May 19, 1949 in Drew, Mississippi.) is a former quarterback in professional American football. Archie was one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the South. A legend at the University of Mississippi, he played quarterback from 1968 to 1970 for the Rebels, where he was twice voted an All-American. In his junior season he finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, and in his senior season he finished third. He then became the top pick of the New Orleans Saints, embarking on a star-crossed 14-year NFL career that also saw him suit up for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings. A hard-hitting shortstop in his youth, Archie could have chosen professional baseball as a career path, having been drafted to play baseball in the major leagues by the Atlanta Braves in 1967 after graduating from Drew High School-and later by the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. In May of 1971 he married Olivia Williams. Olivia was a perfect match for Archie, who was treated like royalty wherever he went in the South. She had been named Homecoming Queen at Ole Miss in 1970. Manning is the father of three sons: Cooper, Peyton, and Eli – all of whom grew up playing football in their father's footsteps. Ole Miss
In the first national prime-time broadcast of a college football game (1969), Manning threw for 436 yards and three touchdowns, also rushing for 104 yards, in a heartbreaking 33-32 loss to Alabama. But despite his considerable talent, the rest of the team was not at his level, and the Rebels only had a record of 15-7 in his last two years. In his college career, he threw for 4,753 yards and 56 touchdowns and ran for 823 yards. He scored 14 touchdowns in 1969. In both 1969 and 1970, he was named to the All-SEC team and his #18 jersey was retired by Ole Miss. Manning was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Manning's legacy is honored to this day on the campus of Ole Miss. During his time at Ole Miss Manning was a brother of Sigma Nu Fraternity. NFL career
After college, he was selected in the 1971 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints with the second overall selection. The Saints were at that time – and throughout Manning's stay there – one of the worst teams in the league, and Manning's supporters have often said that this was the reason that his career was less successful than it otherwise might have been. It seems very likely that if quarterback sacks had been an official statistic throughout his NFL career, there would probably have been more recorded against him than against any other player. Manning played for the Saints for ten full seasons, none of them winning. In 1972 he led the league in pass attempts and completions, and led the NFC in passing yards, though the team's record was only 2-11-1. In 1978, he was named the NFC Player Of The Year by UPI after leading the Saints to their first non-losing season. They finished 8-8. That same year, Archie was also named All-NFC by both the UPI and The Sporting News. Manning was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1978 and 1979. He went on to conclude his career with the Houston Oilers (1982-83), and the Minnesota Vikings (1983-84), where the teams posted a collective record of 6-35. He ended his 13-year career having completed 2,011 of 3,642 passes for 23,911 yards and 125 touchdowns, with 173 interceptions. He also rushed for 2,197 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 2,011 completions ranked 17th in NFL history upon his retirement. Post-NFL career Manning continues to make his home in New Orleans, though he also owns a condo in Oxford, Mississippi which he relocated to following Hurricane Katrina, and he is involved as an analyst with the Saints' radio and preseason television broadcasts. He can also be seen as a commentator for CBS Sports' college football broadcasts. He is the father of three sons, Cooper, Peyton and Eli. Archie has also been utilized as a commercial spokesman for products in Southeast Louisiana, where he remains popular with many fans. Children
PERSONAL Archie Manning was born to Sis and Buddy Manning in Drew, Mississippi. He grew up in a small town during the 1950's and 1960's. His father, Buddy, worked at a farm equipment store and earned only $6,000 per year. His mother was a homemaker. He had an older sister named Pam. During his adolescence, Manning played organized sports. Baseball was his first love, then came football, and last came basketball. Archie used to plow a baseball field in his backyard so that his friends and him could play on a daily basis. Archie played on the varsity baseball team in the seventh grade at age twelve. He went on to play six years on varsity, and all of the people in Drew thought that he was going to sign a pro contract with a major league team. He started to play pee-wee football in the fifth grade where he played running back. He begin to play football in high school after he discovered that he wasn't gifted enough to play running back. As a sophomore, Archie started at quarterback off and on with a career marred with many injuries. His senior year of high school, he was offered football scholarships to Tulane University, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State University, but he was also drafted to the major leagues out of high school. He had to make a tough decision, but he wouldn't let baseball get in the way of an education. Manning chose to go to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) on an athletic scholarship in Oxford, Mississippi. He signed with them in December of 1966, and he graduated from high school in May of 1967.
When he had gotten to Ole
Miss in college, Archie played on the freshman squad all year
long. Then the following spring he was named starting
quarterback by his coach, Johnny Vaught. After the incident Archie declared to his mother that he was quitting school and quitting football in order to stay home, get a job and help the family make ends meet. Archie's mother wasn't going to have that and insisted that he go back to school to finish his education. Archie did go back to school. During his junior and senior seasons in college, he earned All American first team and Ap/UPI All American. During his junior season he met his college sweetheart, the later University homecoming Queen, Olivia Williams of Philadelphia, Mississippi who he later married. In April of 1971 Archie Manning was drafted by the New Orleans Saints as the second pick in the draft where he played with the Saints for eleven years. He endured many coaching and personnel changes during his long stay in New Orleans. In 1974, Archie and Olivia had their first son Cooper Manning. Then came Peyton Manning (1976) and last came Eli Manning (1981). In 1978 Manning was named NFL Most Valuable Player and he was a pro bowler for two seasons. After being traded to the Houston Oilers and playing there for one year and finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings after being forced to retire, because of a thyroid disease in 1985. Since retiring from football, Archie has worked for Morgan Keegan brokerage and has done radio broadcasts for the Saints. Today Archie broadcasts for several companies and does public radio (PR). Archie and his wife reside in New Orleans, Louisiana, and are considering moving back to Drew, Mississippi one day.
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