It is very common for elite players from different sports background to give motivational talks to their other counterparts. Peyton Manning, the former legendary quarterback of Indianapolis Colts, is friends with some of the most talented athletes in the world. When he won his first ever Super Bowl ring, all he could hear from people were praises and complimentary messages. However, NBA GOAT Michael Jordan being a playful bully, humbled Manning pretty quickly by showing off his championship victories.
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Peyton Manning appeared on The Dan Patrick show in 2020. There, the star quarterback was asked if he had ever played golf with Air Jordan. Post that, Manning narrated a delightful story about the six-time NBA champion which left fans thoroughly amused.
Funny story from Peyton Manning about Michael Jordan on the @dpshow
After the #Colts won the Super Bowl in 2006, Jordan made sure to remind him he's still 5 championships behind him.
Of course, a different QB did catch up to him in the NFL – @TomBradyhttps://t.co/q35ZSwYsYu
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 20, 2020
Michael Jordan once artfully brought down Peyton Manning from Cloud 9
While the QB never met Jordan on the Golf course, he did interact with him when they both had to shoot a commercial for Gatorade. Post that, Manning met Jordan again after winning his first Super Bowl title in 2007. It was at that time when Jordan, while congratulating Manning, told him, “Hey Peyton, congratulations. You got a long way to catch up.”
Clearly, Jordan was taking a dig at ‘The Sheriff’, letting him know that while he might have earned a championship victory, the NBA GOAT is leaps and bounds ahead of him in that race. The only quarterback who caught up to Jordan’s record of six championships is Tom Brady.
In fact, Brady, who has more Super Bowl rings than any single franchise in the history of the competition, ended his career with 7 titles, one more than Mr. Jordan.
Manning once disregarded Jordan’s career advice
Manning made a huge decision, which surprised many of his fans. He chose to stay at the University of Tennessee for his senior year. Opting to continue his education had a significant impact on his professional football career. Instead of joining the New York Jets, who held the first pick in the 1997 draft, he chose to be selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the top overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
However, Manning didn’t make this decision hastily. He took the time to carefully consider his options, even seeking advice from basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Zak Keefer from The Athletic had reported that Manning engaged in discussions with several quarterbacks who made different decisions regarding staying or leaving school early, such as Roger Staubach, Phil Simms, Troy Aikman, Drew Bledsoe, and Bernie Kosar.
Additionally, Peyton also sought advice from Jordan who asked him to “Take the money and run.” As the world knows, Peyton didn’t follow Jordan’s advice, and ended his career upon establishing himself as one of the greats of the game.
