Sunday, August 8, 2021. 9:36 PM
TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Peyton Manning, the record-breaking quarterback with two Super Bowl rings, made his official entry into the Football Hall of Fame on Sunday.
The former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos star was an obvious choice to get elected to the temple, located in Canton, Ohio, in his first year of eligibility.
“I don’t know about you, but I’ll never be done with this sport,” Manning said after a long standing ovation from the crowd. The former quarterback remained behind the podium smiling at the crowd as the applause and screaming continued.
During his 18 seasons in the NFL, Manning was a reference to his position. He also became the first quarterback in history to lead two teams to a championship.
Manning has been named the NFL MVP five times, in addition to being named the seven times best player in his position.
The son of college football legend Archie Manning and brother of former New York Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, Peyton was drafted No. 1 in the 1998 NFL Draft.
The following year, he rose to the top of the NFL’s quarterbacks. Over the course of his career, he’s led the NFL in touchdown passes four times, most notably in 2013, when he scored 55 with the Broncos.
During his speech, Manning called on all those involved directly or indirectly with the NFL to get involved to “be the spark that will define the future of the sport”.
“Without it, we will not be able to do football justice. We have to take care of football to keep it alive one more day, one more year.
“It’s up to us to build the future of this sport,” he said.
Other inductees in 2021 are players Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson, Alan Faneca, Drew Pearson (senior member) and John Lynch, scout Bill Nunn, as well as coach Tom Flores.
The 2020 inductees, whose ceremony had been canceled due to the pandemic, were also honored Sunday evening at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
