It started off tearfully for Peyton Manning on Monday as he retired from the NFL after 18 seasons at a press conference in Englewood, Colorado. From the moment he stood behind the lectern, Manning’s voice was cracking. But in typical fashion, he also began with technicalities of the game. Manning — known for his zealous dedication to football — recounted the first pass he threw, a short dump-off to Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
And while everyone knew what was coming, soon after, Manning made it official, saying simply: “Today I retire from professional football.”
Additional video excerpts HERE
"18 is a good number. And today, I retire from Pro Football…" – Peyton Manning https://t.co/u53ztqVqBE
— NFL (@NFL) March 7, 2016
Manning, a five-time MVP and two-time champion, retires as the all-time leader in career passing touchdowns (539) and passing yards (71,940). In 2013 he set the record for touchdown passes with 55. Perhaps even more important to Manning, he walked away a winner, helping his Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50 in February.
For years Manning — who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and his final four seasons with the Broncos — ranked among the top signal callers in the NFL, battling for the top spot with rival Tom Brady, who told Sports Illustrated’s MMQB that Manning, ahead of his retirement, “set the standard for how to play the quarterback position.” Echoing those sentiments at the press conference Monday, John Elway, Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager (as well as a Hall of Fame Denver quarterback himself), said simply that Manning “revolutionized the game.”
[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More on Peyton Manning’s retirement with video” style=”outline” color=”primary” size=”lg” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibtimes.com%2Fpeyton-manning-retirement-press-conference-video-highlights-quotes-broncos-former-2331720|title:More%20on%20Peyton%20Manning’s%20retirement%20with%20video|target:%20_blank”][vc_message message_box_style=”3d” message_box_color=”turquoise”]By TIM MARCIN, International Business Times, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Mar. 7, 2016
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