PHOENIX — This much is known: Peyton Manning joined forces with New England’s Tom Brady on changing footballs nearly a decade ago. Manning wasn’t interested in the air pressure, he said Friday, but the texture of the footballs in visiting stadiums. Until Brady and Manning wrote to the NFL’s competition committee, the home team supplied the game-day footballs. This led to problems, and a funny story from Manning.
“I don’t know anything about air pressure in a ball every since the K2 back in the day as a kid. I am not versed in it. Tom and I were part of that rule (change) a couple of years ago to be able to simply have your own ball boys be able to prepare your own footballs,” Manning said.
“I remember the first ever game I played in. It was against Seattle in the preseason. And Warren Moon liked the balls right out of the box, I mean right out of the plastic. And I had three balls slip out of my hand and go backwards. And I remember (Colts coach) Jim Mora yelling at me, “What in the world is going on?” I said “I can’t grip the ball.” So you had to adjust everytime you were the visiting team to the footballs you were going to be playing with. And you had to grip them differently. But that was all texture. That rule was all simply about being able to break them in, if you will.”
Manning received a standing ovation from the nearly 1,600 in attendance for the Bart Starr Award breakfast. The Broncos quarterback was chosen by his National Football League peers as this year’s winner based on his character and contributions on and off the field. Tony Dungy, Manning’s former coach with the Colts, and Bart Starr Jr., awarded Manning with the trophy.
“It means a great deal. I have great respect for Bart Starr and the impact he’s made on so many communities and people. I am very honored to join this unique fraternity with John Lynch, Drew Brees, and so many others,” Manning said. “And it was quite a special moment to receive the award from Tony Dungy. It meant a great deal.”
