Peyton Manning told campers at the 20th Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana tales of his slow 40-yard dash times in high school. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
You don’t always need speed. Just ask .
The Broncos’ quarterback and surefire hall of famer is back in Louisiana this weekend for the at Nicholls State. During a question-and-answer session with the campers Thursday, Peyton, a quarterback who isn’t exactly known for his blazing speed, was asked about its importance at the position.
As if his career alone wasn’t enough proof, Peyton told the campers some tales from his high school days to further emphasize his point, that speed isn’t vital if you can compensate in other areas.
, Peyton recounted the time he and Eli ran 40-yard dashes at the Tulane Football Camp. Peyton, then a senior at Isidore Newman School and a Green Wave recruit, said he was told he ran a 4.88-second 40.
“I’m pretty sure that was (then Tulane coach) Buddy Teevens just doing some good recruiting. I probably ran about a 5.1,” Peyton said, jokingly. As for Eli, the youngest kid in the camp as a 7th-grader, well, he ran a 6.2, according to Peyton. Still joking, obviously.
Peyton also told the campers of an earlier time in his high school career when he and Cooper, as well as two brothers from nearby St. Martin’s School, worked with a speed coach. After a month, they were timed in the 40 to see if they had made any progress.
“Cooper ran about a 4.75, which was great (since) he was playing receiver (at Newman),” Peyton said. “I didn’t hear my time, but the guy from St. Martin’s, who was an offensive lineman, beat me in the 40, and he ran a 5.8. I don’t know what I ran, but it was somewhere after that (time).”
(via NOLA.com)
