Though others have eclipsed him in some sections of the NFL record book, Peyton Manning’s stamp on the league is very much a thing of 2021 and beyond.
Manning, the quarterback whose meticulous attention to detail helped turn the 21st-century gridiron into a chessboard on turf, was awarded his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night in his first year of eligibility.
The son of New Orleans Saints legend Archie and the older brother of two-time Super Bowl champion Eli, formerly of the New York Giants, will be joined later this year in enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, by another first-ballot lock, defensive back Charles Woodson, who beat out Manning for the Heisman Trophy in 1997 during their college careers, and then spent nearly two decades trying to stop him. Calvin Johnson – aka “Megatron” – was also a first-ballot selection, his mere nine years of playmaking excellence with the Detroit Lions more than enough to convince the panel.
Also making it were guard Alan Faneca, who made nine Pro Bowls and missed only one game over 13 seasons with three franchises; and John Lynch, the hard-hitting safety who burnished his reputation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson, Oakland Raiders coach Tom Flores and longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout Bill Nunn made it in the senior, coach and contributor categories, respectively.