Petyon Manning was born in New Orleans into a football dynasty. His father, Archie Manning, was an NFL quarterback and his brother, Eli, is an NFL quarterback as well.
Manning is a Presbyterian and very devout.[1] He has said:
I always felt it was very important to have a good relationship with the Lord. He always has to be your number one priority. I grew up in a good Christian home. My parents…we went to Sunday school and church every Sunday, so it's always got to be a number one priority.[2]
Athletes are notorious for crediting God to their good performances and exciting moments in sports are often referred to as "miracles." Sports and religion are not unfamiliar bedfellows.
It has been reported that Manning prays before every football game, and his praying became headlines during the AFC Championships in 2007 when, before the game-winning play, Peyton said a quick prayer. He said:
I said a little prayer there on that last drive. I don't know if you're supposed to pray or not in those kinds of situations, but I did.[3]
A touchdown for the Republicans
Manning is rich–and religious, so it would stand to reason that he's a Republican. Let's see if my stereotyping and pigeonholing panned out…Yes! Manning has donated at least $14,500 to federal-level Republicans since 2004, including $2,000 to George W. Bush's reelection campaign.[4]
Manning hasn't specifically outlined his political or social views, but some of them seem to be in defiance of Republican convention. For example, as a player for the Indianapolis Colts, Manning and his fellow players found themselves in opposition to their state's (Indiana) proposed anti-union laws, laws common to Republican states called "Right to Work" laws because football players are part of a union.[5]
And Obama is an admirer of the star quarterback–calling him one of the "best of all time."[6] But maybe that's just Obama trying to reach across the aisle and doesn't necessarily mean anything for Manning's views.
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