Mannings to meet on the field for third time in NFL careers

Published: Friday, July 12, 2013 at 6:18 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 12, 2013 at 6:18 p.m.

For the third time, the Mannings will compete against each other in a regular-season game when the Peyton's Denver Broncos travel to play Eli's New York Giants on Sept, 15 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

While the brothers deflected some questions about the upcoming game, Peyton and Eli both said they understood how rare it is for brothers to quarterback opposing teams, and how the game may be the final time the two will compete against each other in the NFL.

Peyton and Eli, as well as their father, Archie, fielded questions at the 2013 Manning Passing Academy's press conference held at the Nicholls State's Century Club Room on Friday. The four-day camp ends Sunday, but at 6:30 tonight the camp host the 2013 Papa's John Air-it-Out and Iberia Bank Quarterback Challenge at John L. Guidry Stadium.

?Sure, I understand how unique it is,? Peyton said about the impending game. ?Last year, you had John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh going against each other in the Super Bowl, and it is a great story. It is going to be the third time, and I will be on a different team. It is the second week of the season, and you know it will be an important game for both teams. I think it is our first road game and their home opener, and it is going to be a pivotal game for both teams. I think my parents enjoy it, but Cooper doesn't attend any of those games. I don't think he is going to attend this one. It's pretty unique, and it might be the last time as I am heading in the homestretch of my eligibility.?

Peyton, who is entering his 16th NFL season and second with Denver, said he remembers little from the two previous games against Eli except for a moment during the National Anthem.

?What I do recall from the first two games, I stand around the 40-45-yard line for the National Anthem. I look across, and I see Eli is in the same exact spot,? Peyton said. ?So you do take a moment and realize how unique it is, but once the game starts, you play to win.?

Peyton is 2-0 against Eli as the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton's former team, defeated the Giants in 2006 and 2010.

Without a win over his big brother, Eli is looking forward to the game, but he is also amazed at how Peyton played in the 2012 season after missing the entire 2011 season following neck surgery.

Eli said he watched Peyton's first preseason game with the Broncos, and all it took was one pass to know his brother was healthy again. Peyton threw for more than 4,600 yards and 37 touchdowns while playing in all 16 games for the Broncos.

?I was proud of Peyton and the way he overcame his injury. I saw him in the beginning stages and what he had to overcome just to throw a football and become better. I was excited to see him get back in shape, and he had a great year,? Eli said. ?As a brother you are always nervous. I was watching his first preseason game. I saw him look right, then over the middle, and then he threw a deep comeback to the left. If you can make that throw, you can make all the throws. I knew he was ready. (Playing against each other) doesn't happen that often, and this will be the third time, so it is special to look at the other sideline and see my big brother. It is unique, and I look forward to it.?

Besides their upcoming game, the Mannings also spoke of their passing academy in its 18th year and the eighth at Nicholls.

Archie said he appreciates all the work done by the university and his staff to host 1,200 campers.

?Once again, we are excited to be back in Thibodaux. We have a great staff of college and pro coaches. We asked our coaches to stand up and give an introduction, and some of them say it is their 16th, 15th, 14th year coming back. That tells us that our staff likes coming back and want to come back,? Archie said. ?It takes a lot of people to make this work. My boys have been here for 18 years, 100 percent of the time. Eli was a camper when we first started, and Peyton was a junior at Tennessee. We are glad to be here, and the weather got off to a good start.?

Besides working with the Mannings, campers also get instruction from high-profile college quarterbacks who work as counselors.

The list of college quarterbacks working the camp over the four days was highlighted by 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel and Alabama's two-time national champion quarterback A.J. McCarron.

Peyton said Manziel attended the camp when he was in high school, and he is thrilled to see former campers go on to have success.

?I would say that our goal was never to be considered a blue-chip camp. We are more for the ninth-grader who wants to start on the junior varsity or the sophomore who wants to start on the varsity. If a kid goes to college, that is great, and we are excited about that,? Peyton said. ?Certainly, when they also go on to play pro ball it is exciting. You know Eli was a camper, Andrew Luck was a camper, Johnny was a camper for two years and then having the year he had. We are proud of our alumni and all of the college players that come here as counselors.?

Eli said during the camp's 18 years, he can see how better prepared high school quarterbacks are in the way of mechanics than he was, and he hopes the Manning Passing Academy has played a part in their improvement.

?It has grown over the 18 years. I think the first year we had 125 campers, and now we have 1,200. We also have a lot more college quarterbacks as counselors, and that is the fun part for me. I get to meet all these quarterbacks from around the country from all different schools. During the season on Saturdays, I might find a game with someone who was here, and I find myself rooting for them,? Eli said. ?High school football is more advanced than it was when I played. Teams are throwing it 40, 50 times a game. There are more advanced in the college game also, and that helps them at the pro level. All of these high school quarterbacks have gotten better over time, and we love to talk to them and help them out anyway that we can.?

Source: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130712/articles/130719826

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