Peyton Manning’s relationship with Tom Brady is an unlikely, yet special one. After years of battling it out on the gridiron, the latter attended the former’s HOF speech yesterday.
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During their legendary careers, the 2 QBs faced each other 17 times, with Brady walking away victorious from 11 of those bouts. He finished with an 8-4 record against Manning’s Colts and was 3-2 against the Sheriff once he moved to Denver.
Now, this definitely doesn’t mean that Manning didn’t pull off some amazing wins against his biggest rival. The 2016 AFC Championship comes to mind, when Manning edged past Brady’s Patriots in the pair’s final game against each other, before eventually wining Super Bowl 50 (his last NFL game).
But overwhelmingly, Brady probably “won” that rivalry quite comfortably. It was probably because of this, that when Manning took a friendly jab at TB12 last night, he drew some boos from the crowd.
“Speaking of rivals, my good friend Tom Brady is here tonight,” Manning said, prompting his joke about Brady’s longevity. “By the time Tom Brady is inducted in his first year of eligibility in the year 2035 he’ll only have time to post his acceptance speech on his Instagram account.”
As Manning paused during the joke, Brady turned to the crowd and light-heartedly asked, “What’s up with that? What did I do wrong?”.
Peyton Manning Delivers Beautiful Hall of Fame Speech
It’s no secret that Manning is a brilliant orator. Aside from the inevitable jokes, he delivered an extremely heartfelt speech at his induction, proving just how much he loves the game of Football.
He concluded his speech with the following message:
“Throughout our lives as players, coaches, staffs and fans, we’ve become essential to the sports landscape. I don’t know about you but I’m not done with this game. I never will be. I’m committed to ensuring its future, and I hope you will join me in that commitment.”
“As members of this honored class, we have a responsibility to make our game stronger, from the corner playground to the most-celebrated stadiums. During the past few years, the game of football has been challenged by an explosion of sports and entertainment options, safety concerns, erupting social-justice issues and a worldwide pandemic.”
“Displaced fans have taken on an entirely new meaning, as our stadiums have been shut down and fans shut out. We certainly shouldn’t walk away now. When we leave this stage tonight, it is no longer about us. It is about cultivating the game that has given so much to us.”
“It’s about nurturing football to live and thrive another day, another year, decade and another generation. It’s about guaranteeing that kids everywhere can learn, bond, grow and have fun with every flag pulled, every tackle made, every pass thrown, every run, block, sack and touchdown scored.”
“The audience here tonight is made up of diehard fans who feel football deep in your bones. Now, we may have ignited the fire, but you, you have fanned the flames. Inevitably, those flames will be whipped by the winds of change, but they don’t need to smolder.”
“The future of this game is ours to shape. We just need to take tomorrow on our shoulders as readily as we donned our pads before each game. Let this moment become a cherished memory, and then remember: A legacy is only worthwhile when there is a future to fuel.”
“God bless you, and God bless football.”
