Archie Manning
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Elisha Archibald Manning III (born May 19, 1949) is an American former quarterback in professional American football. He was previously a star college player at Ole Miss from 1968-1970; in his junior season he finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, and in his senior season he finished third.
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, also running 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.
After college he was selected in the 1971 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints with the second 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; while his critics have put a considerable amount of blame on him for the team's lack of success. It seems very likely that if 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, despite the team's 7-9 record. He 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 2011 of 3642 passes for 23,911 yards and 125 touchdowns, with 173 interceptions. He also rushed for 2197 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 2011 completions ranked 17th in NFL history upon his retirement.
Manning continues to make his home in the New Orleans area, and is involved as an analyst with the Saints' radio and preseason television broadcasts. He is the father of three sons, Cooper Manning, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Peyton Manning is the current quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and was the first selection in 1998 NFL draft. Eli Manning, like his father, played quarterback at Ole Miss and was the first selection in the 2004 NFL draft, being traded from the San Diego Chargers (who selected him with the first pick) to the New York Giants. Archie Manning has been utitized as a commercial spokesman for products in the Southeast, where he remains a favorite with many fans.
External link
- College Football News: 100 Greatest Players (#18) (http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/Top_100_Players_18_Archie_Manning.htm)