The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely skilled and intensely driven. But as Eli prepares to be—like his brother—a first overall draft pick, what stands out most about the Mannings is how refreshingly grounded they are - NFL

Sporting News, The, March 22, 2004 by Paul Attner

Let's do it," says Peyton Manning to his brother Eli.

Eli nods.

They approach each other grimly. "OK," says Peyton. "Turn around."

Eli obeys. They stand back to back.

"So who's taller?" Peyton asks. Eli stands on his toes. "Now, don't you do that," says Peyton.

Eli stops. They settle down. It's 6-5 Peyton by half an inch. No question.

"See, I knew I still have you," says the older brother, triumph in his voice.

Some things in the pecking order of brothers never change, even if you are Peyton Manning, maybe the best player in the NFL, and Eli Manning, who should be the No. 1 choice in April's draft. Eli may be the better basketball player and may be able to fling a Nerf Vortex football 15 yards farther. ("I destroyed him," says Eli proudly.) But he's still younger and smaller.

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Eli also is the last of the fabulous Manning boys, the final star in the most remarkable family in the history of pro football. We've never seen anything like this: father Archie, second pick in the 1971 draft by the Saints before embarking on a highly lauded and heroic 15-year career; middle son Peyton, the first choice in the 1998 draft and the reigning league co-MVP; and youngest son Eli, the savior of the Ole Miss football program and second-most popular player in school history behind--who else?--his dad. Every one a quarterback--all gifted, intelligent and, dare we say in this era of hard edges and bad-boy personas, nice. Their father could be the best-liked person to ever play the game, and his sons are a mixture of politeness and respect that masks a marked determination that characterizes seemingly everything a Manning undertakes. They get it in a way so many of their peers don't.

Think about it. Name another son of a former NFL star who has been as successful as Peyton--and consider this family could boast two players selected first in the draft. These Mannings are a refreshingly grand and classy bunch, close and loving and happy, devoid of psychological scars and blood feuds, strong enough to remain grounded amid ungodly fame and, yes, fortune. "They are the DiMaggios of the NFL," says Ole Miss chancellor Robert Khayat, once a kicker with the Redskins.

"It's mind-boggling, almost unfathomable," says former Packers general manager and current Browns consultant Ron Wolf, who scouted Archie at Ole Miss and Peyton at Tennessee. "Just consider how hard it is to play quarterback in this league, and you have two brothers this talented. And Archie--he was a really terrific player who got stuck on some really bad teams."

Now you have the Chargers sitting with the first pick in the draft, struggling to figure out what to do. For a franchise that erred on Ryan Leaf and passed on Michael Vick, it should be a no-brainer. Eli Manning is available. Take him. You don't pass up a Manning. Otherwise, you've learned nothing from history--and from the impact one family can have on this game.

It is Eli's private pro day. NFL personnel men and head coaches gather within the Saints' indoor facility. In many ways, Eli is a clone of Peyton--nearly the same height, at 222 just eight or so pounds lighter, with strikingly similar mechanics and mannerisms. On this day, his passes are crisp and tight, accurate and consistent. But it is an unnecessary exercise; teams like the Chargers, Raiders and Giants, all possessing top-five picks, will learn much more in private meetings with Eli and by watching tapes of his development at Ole Miss, particularly last season, when the Rebels, with less-than-elite talent, won 10 games--and a New Year's Day bowl game for the first time in 34 years--and Manning became Peyton-like in his effective use of check-offs and audibles.

"He's more athletic than Peyton," says John Dorsey, the Packers' director of college scouting who watches the workout with coach Mike Sherman. "He has better feet, but he is not as cerebral coming to the line as Peyton. But Eli can make all the throws; his arm is alive; he is smart, and he is a Manning."

And something else, too. "The family is undefeated," says Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi. "He comes from a wonderful family of achievers. Everything they do is excellent. Look what they already have done for college and pro football; they represent everything good about our sport. And their humility in this era is so refreshing."

Peyton attends the workout. He's in town for older brother Cooper's 30th birthday party. The quick-witted Cooper, now a very successful institutional broker in New Orleans, was an Ole Miss receiver with pro potential before a congenital back condition forced him to give up football. The injury hit the family hard, particularly Peyton, who is almost two years younger than his brother and still idolizes him. He was in high school when Cooper stopped playing; Peyton immediately began wearing his brother's old number, 18, which also was his dad's at Ole Miss. Eli, five years younger than Peyton, also wore the uniform number in high school. All three brothers, who are strikingly similar Huck Finns with varying shades of red hair, attended Newman, a private high school in New Orleans, and all three played quarterback there (Cooper only briefly); the school is retiring No. 18 this spring as part of a 100th anniversary celebration.

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The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely skilled and intensely driven. But as Eli prepares to be—like his brother—a first overall draft pick, what stands out most about the Mannings is how refreshingly grounded they are - NFL

Sporting News, The, March 22, 2004 by Paul Attner

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