SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The media blitz this time around is different. The questions often are about the past, moreso than the opponent awaiting Peyton Manning on Feb. 7.
The moments of reflections and thank yous continued Tuesday, just hours after he completed Super Bowl 50 media night.
Manning, an 18-year veteran, was calm as the sea of reporters closed in on him in a tent outside the Broncos’ hotel. He was content — content with the game plan, content with the work awaiting him, content with the journey.
Over the past few days, he said, he’s taken the time to thank his coaches, from high school on up. He’s set aside Super Bowl tickets for some of his closest high school and college friends, just as has for his past Super Bowl appearances.
“These are guys that I’ve known since I was a little kid,” he said, refusing to divulge names. “It’s fun to be able to call and say, ‘Hey, I got a couple of seats for you. Do you want to go?’ I appreciate the friendships that I have with those high school and college guys.”
He thought back to his signing day, when he formally announced his decision to attend the University of Tennessee.
“I probably had a pair of khakis on. Plaid shirt. Long-sleeves. What I normally wear,” he recalled. “No hats, no unveiling. I had already announced I was going to Tennessee a couple days early. It wasn’t nearly the excitement it is now. But I remember it being a fun day because I knew it was official that I was signing with the Tennessee Volunteers.”
He thanked those who have helped him along the way, including first-year receiver Jordan Taylor, who helped him rehabilitate from his foot injury.
“I don’t think I could have gotten through that rehab and kind of gotten back had it not been for him,” Manning said. “I’m very grateful for his help.”
He thanked his brothers, Cooper and Eli, the latter set to arrive in California on Tuesday evening to attend the game Sunday and spend time with Peyton.
“Eli has helped me out,” Peyton said. “He’s helped me out in every Super Bowl that I’ve been in, and I’ve helped him out as well. It’s nice having a sibling in the same business.”
He thanked his coaches — all five head coaches he worked with over the years, as well as positional coach Greg Knapp, who helped him transition to Broncos coach Gary Kubiak’s stretch-run, zone-blocking offense this season.
“You spend probably the most amount of time with your positional coach, so over the past three years, (I’ve been in) a lot of quarterback meetings with Greg Knapp,” Manning said. “He’s been very helpful to me. I’ve really enjoyed his coaching and learning new quarterback drills. He’s definitely helped me this year, learning a new offense, which is a major transition and a major challenge, and he kind of helped translate some of the language from the past couple of years that I’ve been here.”
Sandwiched in between the questions looking back were ones of the Carolina Panthers, and their defense, which Manning lauded and admitted will be a challenge Sunday.
But as the week unfolds, and he gets closer to Super Bowl 50, the Manning of old has adapted. The moments like these are fleeting, he said. The appreciation shouldn’t be.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or @NickiJhabvala
