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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
Sporting News, The, March 22, 2004 by Paul Attner
Maybe because Archie and Olivia, who now have been married 33 years and a couple for 37, feared those possibilities is why none of that occurred. "They gave their children a proper Mississippi upbringing," says Billy Van Devender, who roomed with Archie at Ole Miss, was his best man and now is a prosperous businessman in that state. "They were taught to respect adults and have the right manners. All Archie and Olivia wanted was for their kids to be normal. You don't see them flaunting their success. The whole family is warm and generous, a joy to be around."
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Some of this seems almost too Hollywood to be true. Archie, the All-American quarterback from tiny Drew, Miss., marries a former Ole Miss homecoming queen. They raise three intelligent, energetic, athletic sons, all of whom also excel academically (Peyton, who graduated cum laude in three years, and Eli, who finished in December, both won NCAA scholarship/academic awards, including an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship by Eli).
Archie was fearful of being a Todd Marinovich father, so he never pressured them to play sports or most certainly quarterback. He instructs them only if they ask. But they are smart enough to do just that; he teaches them proper mechanics, his love of sports. It shows. Cooper would proudly have 3-year-old Peyton demonstrate to friends his five-step drop; Eli would sleep with Neff baseballs and footballs in his bed, not stuffed animals.
But Archie refrained from coaching their youth teams. It has been troubling enough when his sons have been singled out by rival parents who encouraged their kids "to stop that Manning" He vowed to stay in the background, supportive but quiet. To this day, he still is, even skipping Eli's pro workout.
In the most simplistic terms, Peyton is Archie, Eli is Olivia, Cooper is everyone. Cooper is the family star, really; its optimist, its energy, its funny bone. "I'm just as proud of what Cooper has done in business as I am of anything Peyton and Eli has accomplished," says Archie. Cooper also has produced the first grandchild, with another due in April. The family is impressively protective of Cooper's feelings and his role. Eli understands. When Cooper was at Ole Miss, Eli remembers fondly the time spent in his apartment. So when Eli went there, he was determined to rent the same place. He eventually did.
Archie is detailed, determined, organized, living off lists, making only well-researched and analytical decisions. Peyton always has had lists, too; Eli just got himself his first organizer. His sons love to mess with Archie's habits. At Ole Miss, Archie would straighten up Eli's apartment. When he left the room, Eli would create some clutter, just to see his dad clean that up, too. When Peyton was in college, one of his first roommates was messy. Peyton not only tidied up the room, he made his friend's bed. He thinks it makes perfect sense to map out his life after his dad's.
Cooper and Peyton were inseparable; even today, no one laughs harder at Cooper's jokes than Peyton. But Eli was too young to pal around with them; too young to attend his dad's workouts as they did; too young to remember his dad playing in the pros. He would try to play catch with Peyton, but he dropped too many balls, so Peyton took pillows off the couch and taped them to Eli's arms. He looked like a big marshmallow, but at least he could smother the passes.
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