Jamie Reidy shares his favorite story about the Colts’ greatest player ever.
Today marks one of the saddest days in Indiana state history; Peyton Manning, the player who singlehandedly dragged the Indianapolis Colts back to relevance, has been cut by the only NFL team he’s ever known.
But I don’t want to reflect on the negative. I’m thinking about the story that doesn’t fit the genius quarterback who can process more mental calculations before the snap than IBM’s Big Blue chess computer.
According to the great Michael Silver’s “Sports Illustrated” article from November 1999, Peyton is a domestic dunce. FYI: his then girlfriend, now wife, Ashley’s maiden name was Thompson and she attended the University of Virginia.
…Manning placed a long-distance call to Thompson from his dorm room and expressed a desire to have Chinese food delivered. Flustered by the process, he persuaded Thompson to call a Knoxville restaurant from her apartment in Charlottesville and make the order for him.
I can’t believe Ashley still married him!
#18 making the hand signals and barking out cadences without the horse shoe on his helmet? No thanks.
Do you want him to retire or come back and kick the Colts’ ass?
Photo: IAN RANSLEY DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION