Peyton Manning finds he’s playing with and against many of his fans. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
Seventeen NFL seasons, 14 Pro Bowl selections, seven first-team All-Pro honors, five MVP awards, a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl MVP award, the NFL record for career touchdown passes and countless other accolades and all-time records will do this.
Peyton Manning, a sure-fire hall-of-famer, is widely regarded as one of the best to play the game, at any position. As he enters his 18th season, and as many come to grips with the fact that his presence in the pocket is expiring, Manning finds himself playing alongside and against many players who idolized him when they were growing up.
“I try not to think about this too much, but I had his college jersey when I was in junior high, so it goes back to me being a fan even back then when I was quarterback back then,” tight end Owen Daniels said.
“Obviously he was one of the best to do it in college and at this level, and now to be in the same huddle with him is pretty special. I look at it as art to play with a guy like that and you just want to give your best effort on every down.”
Ty Sambrailo, the Broncos’ rookie left tackle out of Colorado State, said he was “honored” to get to play alongside Manning when the Broncos drafted in him the second round in May.
“That’s a future hall-of-famer and that’s exciting to be in the same building as him,” Sambrailo said a week later, after the two crossed paths in the team cafeteria.
Two preseason games into his pro career, the appreciation of Manning is still there for Sambrailo.
“It’s a dream come true, really,” he said after Saturday’s win in Houston. “I mean, I’ve been watching him play since I was a little kid, so it’s kind of crazy to be out in the huddle and get play calls from him. It’s football still, and we’re all here for a reason, we’re all professionals, so it’s your job to protect whoever’s back there, and it just happens to be one of the greatest.”
The Manning fans can also be found across the line of scrimmage.
Houston’s rookie cornerback Kevin Johnson had two tackles in Saturday’s preseason game, and recorded a pass defensed against Manning that forced a three-and-out on the Broncos’ opening drive. Johnson’s reaction?
“Yeah, yeah. It was pretty cool,” he said. “It was pretty cool just going out there, lining up, and looking in at the quarterback and it was Peyton Manning. That’s pretty cool.”
