lmcshadow
12-02-2013, 01:20 PM
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article...gh-2984949.php (http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/As-Manning-Knows-Rookie-Year-Is-a-Tough-2984949.php)
As Manning Knows, Rookie Year Is a Tough Breaking-In Period
Ira Miller, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am, Thursday, October 15, 1998
It's not hard to tell the two rookie quarterbacks apart. One of them is poised, polished, pleasant. He's the one who will face the 49ers on Sunday.
But Peyton Manning is still a rookie playing for a bad team, the Indianapolis Colts, and we all known what that means. He's no savior, says Bill Polian, the Colts' president. "You just hope that he can survive."
There's little question that he will.
Manning's dad, Archie, was one of the real gentlemen of the NFL in the '70s as a quarterback for some awful teams in New Orleans. Peyton learned football from his dad. He also learned something about life.
"As much attention as I've gotten, people look for you to screw up," Peyton Manning said. "They try to see if you're doing the wrong things. I try to be the right kind of person, try to do what my parents taught me to do.
"In today's world, you see a lot of people saying they are not role models, that they don't want to accept that responsibility. I disagree. My parents taught me to do the right thing, and that's what I try to do. It's pretty simple advice."
In the NFL draft last April, Manning was the first player chosen. Quarterback Ryan Leaf of San Diego was second. Leaf's team has won more games (two) than Manning's team (one), but Manning has performed better -- both on and off the field.
Manning has better statistics. And Manning hasn't cussed out reporters and photographers or created a locker room scene played over and over on TV.
The only question about Manning is the same question that dogs every highly-drafted rookie quarterback. That is, will he be one of the few who actually succeed in a big way? And, to some extent, of course, that depends on how fast the Colts can surround him with talent.
"We took Peyton (with the first pick) because we thought he could better withstand the rigors of playing with a non-existent defense," Polian said.
"Rookies . . . have a hard time finding their way to the dining hall, much less to the playoffs . . . They're unprepared for the speed, size and tactical complexity of the NFL. They're all overwhelmed."
All except Dan Marino, that is. Marino started nine games as a rookie, winning seven, and, remarkably, compiled a touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-to-6) that remains the best of his career. John Elway started the first two games of his rookie season, was relieved by Steve DeBerg in both, and later was benched for a month. Terry Bradshaw threw an interception every nine passes as a rookie. Troy Aikman didn't win in his first 11 starts. Joe Montana hardly got off the bench as a rookie, and that on a 2-14 team.
In that context, Manning's rookie year doesn't look so bad: He has passed for an AFC-high 1,364 yards in six games, but has thrown a league-high 14 interceptions, or one for every 15 passes thrown. In four years at Tennessee, Manning threw an interception only once every 41 passes.
"Nothing's really been surprising to me," Manning said yesterday on a conference call. "I didn't want to struggle, but kind of knew I might."
All teams, of course, need to be right when they have the first pick in the draft. But the Colts also count on Manning to overcome history. They have been cursed at quarterback ever since they drafted and traded away first pick Elway in 1983. Manning is the 17th quarterback to start a game for the Colts since they moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis for the 1984 season. And Jim Mora is their eighth head coach since then.
Indianapolis could have gone slowly with Manning. At the end of last year, the Colts still had quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who took them to within a play of the Super Bowl in 1995. But they wanted their new quarterback to learn by playing, so they got rid of Harbaugh. There is no one "right" way. Bill Walsh brought Montana along slowly, and he won four Super Bowls. Jimmy Johnson threw Aikman in immediately, and he has won three Super Bowls.
This approach seems to suit Manning.
"I think the sooner you take the bumps and bruises and the more experience you get (early), the better off you'll be in the long run," Manning said. "You can only be so good on the chalkboard or paper. You have to be good on the field. The only way to do that is to get on the field and play."
Of course, the Colts knew they had a mature youngster. Peyton passed up a chance to be the top pick of the draft a year ago for no other reason than he wanted to play his final college season. His first endorsement deal in Indianapolis was for a hospital.
Archie Manning was one of the broadcasters on Saints' games when Mora coached New Orleans. Peyton used to hang around a lot. But even Mora finds himself impressed by Peyton Manning's work habits.
"He's the kind of guy who wants to be coached," Mora said. "You can't overwork him. He's like a sponge."
No surprise there, because Manning has spent his life on the edges of pro football. Still, he had to show the veterans, and he has. Center Carl Leeuwenburg said, "Never have I felt like the coaches or players have had to slow up to let him catch up, and that has been a great surprise. You'd think you would kind of have to hold his hand, and we've never had to do that."
As Manning Knows, Rookie Year Is a Tough Breaking-In Period
Ira Miller, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am, Thursday, October 15, 1998
It's not hard to tell the two rookie quarterbacks apart. One of them is poised, polished, pleasant. He's the one who will face the 49ers on Sunday.
But Peyton Manning is still a rookie playing for a bad team, the Indianapolis Colts, and we all known what that means. He's no savior, says Bill Polian, the Colts' president. "You just hope that he can survive."
There's little question that he will.
Manning's dad, Archie, was one of the real gentlemen of the NFL in the '70s as a quarterback for some awful teams in New Orleans. Peyton learned football from his dad. He also learned something about life.
"As much attention as I've gotten, people look for you to screw up," Peyton Manning said. "They try to see if you're doing the wrong things. I try to be the right kind of person, try to do what my parents taught me to do.
"In today's world, you see a lot of people saying they are not role models, that they don't want to accept that responsibility. I disagree. My parents taught me to do the right thing, and that's what I try to do. It's pretty simple advice."
In the NFL draft last April, Manning was the first player chosen. Quarterback Ryan Leaf of San Diego was second. Leaf's team has won more games (two) than Manning's team (one), but Manning has performed better -- both on and off the field.
Manning has better statistics. And Manning hasn't cussed out reporters and photographers or created a locker room scene played over and over on TV.
The only question about Manning is the same question that dogs every highly-drafted rookie quarterback. That is, will he be one of the few who actually succeed in a big way? And, to some extent, of course, that depends on how fast the Colts can surround him with talent.
"We took Peyton (with the first pick) because we thought he could better withstand the rigors of playing with a non-existent defense," Polian said.
"Rookies . . . have a hard time finding their way to the dining hall, much less to the playoffs . . . They're unprepared for the speed, size and tactical complexity of the NFL. They're all overwhelmed."
All except Dan Marino, that is. Marino started nine games as a rookie, winning seven, and, remarkably, compiled a touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-to-6) that remains the best of his career. John Elway started the first two games of his rookie season, was relieved by Steve DeBerg in both, and later was benched for a month. Terry Bradshaw threw an interception every nine passes as a rookie. Troy Aikman didn't win in his first 11 starts. Joe Montana hardly got off the bench as a rookie, and that on a 2-14 team.
In that context, Manning's rookie year doesn't look so bad: He has passed for an AFC-high 1,364 yards in six games, but has thrown a league-high 14 interceptions, or one for every 15 passes thrown. In four years at Tennessee, Manning threw an interception only once every 41 passes.
"Nothing's really been surprising to me," Manning said yesterday on a conference call. "I didn't want to struggle, but kind of knew I might."
All teams, of course, need to be right when they have the first pick in the draft. But the Colts also count on Manning to overcome history. They have been cursed at quarterback ever since they drafted and traded away first pick Elway in 1983. Manning is the 17th quarterback to start a game for the Colts since they moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis for the 1984 season. And Jim Mora is their eighth head coach since then.
Indianapolis could have gone slowly with Manning. At the end of last year, the Colts still had quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who took them to within a play of the Super Bowl in 1995. But they wanted their new quarterback to learn by playing, so they got rid of Harbaugh. There is no one "right" way. Bill Walsh brought Montana along slowly, and he won four Super Bowls. Jimmy Johnson threw Aikman in immediately, and he has won three Super Bowls.
This approach seems to suit Manning.
"I think the sooner you take the bumps and bruises and the more experience you get (early), the better off you'll be in the long run," Manning said. "You can only be so good on the chalkboard or paper. You have to be good on the field. The only way to do that is to get on the field and play."
Of course, the Colts knew they had a mature youngster. Peyton passed up a chance to be the top pick of the draft a year ago for no other reason than he wanted to play his final college season. His first endorsement deal in Indianapolis was for a hospital.
Archie Manning was one of the broadcasters on Saints' games when Mora coached New Orleans. Peyton used to hang around a lot. But even Mora finds himself impressed by Peyton Manning's work habits.
"He's the kind of guy who wants to be coached," Mora said. "You can't overwork him. He's like a sponge."
No surprise there, because Manning has spent his life on the edges of pro football. Still, he had to show the veterans, and he has. Center Carl Leeuwenburg said, "Never have I felt like the coaches or players have had to slow up to let him catch up, and that has been a great surprise. You'd think you would kind of have to hold his hand, and we've never had to do that."