Why Did Arch Manning’s Father Cooper Give Up on His Football Career While Peyton & Eli Manning Excelled in It?

Arch Manning has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in college football, hailing from the esteemed Manning family. As the grandson of former Saints QB Archie Manning and nephew of Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli Manning, the Texas Longhorns backup QB is already valued at $3.2 million in NIL money despite playing only two games with the team. Nevertheless, not many are familiar with Arch’s father, Cooper, the eldest son of Archie Manning, who did pursue a career in football but faced an unfortunate twist of fate.

Fans often wonder why Cooper Manning, the elder brother of Peyton and Eli, chose to end his football career so early. The Manning family, along with the Matthews family, stands as one of the greatest football legacies. Archie Manning, their patriarch and a football legend in his own right, played in the league for 14 seasons and has been honored with induction into the New Orleans Saints Football Hall of Fame.

So, why didn’t Archie’s firstborn pursue a football career when all of his siblings did? As the eldest Manning, Cooper was the first to embrace the sport and showed promise after excelling in high school. He had already committed to playing ball as a wideout for Ole Miss, his father’s alma mater, only to be diagnosed with a spinal condition that forced him out of the game for good.

But before he got the formal and conclusive diagnosis of Spinal stenosis, Cooper had already been contending with health issues and was experiencing symptoms associated with the condition.

Cooper Manning’s Career Cut Short Due to Spinal Stenosis

Cooper Manning was just 18 when he realized he wouldn’t be playing football anymore. Niggling with serious health problems like muscle atrophy, and localized numbness forced Coop to see a local doctor and be diagnosed with a nerve injury. Surgery was soon conducted to correct the problem. But pain and numbness continued during his practice at Ole Miss. He was left with no choice but to seek treatment at the famed Mayo Clinic, as per the Tampa Bay Times.

After a series of grueling tests, doctors delivered the final diagnosis of Spinal Stenosis, shattering his dreams of playing the sport he loved. This condition arises when someone’s spinal canal narrows, which leads to compression on the spinal cord due to the limited space of the backbone, as per the Mayo Clinic. While asymptomatic in many, others have faced issues just like Coopers. Surgery is the solution for people with severe symptoms, which is what Elder Manning decided for.

The elder Manning would have been paralyzed for good if he kept playing football. Even when he went into surgery, he didn’t have any strength in his right leg. Luckily, he has since recovered through intense rehab.

Cooper may not be able to play football, but he is now living the dream through his son. Arch Manning is carrying his father’s legacy. He was a 5-star recruit out of high school. Arch played in just a solitary game in his redshirt year for the Longhorns, completing 2 out of 5 passes for 30 yards. The Texas Longhorns played in the college playoffs this season, only to be eliminated by the Huskies. Arch will play backup to Quinn Ewers next season, who chose to remain in college for another year.