Peyton Manning changed the game of football in Indiana all by himself.  He just had to show up and the pigskin dominoes started to fall.  No, I am not going to discount his hard work.   If you know about his prep work with Coach Cut that has made a difference, you know Peyton Manning made football in Indiana.

Peyton Manning was the first round draft choice of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I were watching his first preseason game in August of 1998 on Pine Street in New Salisbury.  I hand turned our TV antennae to the North to find a snowy picture on WTTV…Channel 4…the channel I watched Cowboy Bob on as a kid.

In that game, Peyton Manning hit Marvin Harrison for a 48 yard TD pass on Peyton’s first pass in an NFL game.  Never mind Marvin caught it and ran 43 of the 48 yards, it was still “a moment”.

Peyton’s first season in Indy was growing pain central.  He led the league in interceptions.  He also showed us rookie brillance.  I was at the Bengals-Colts game at the RCA Dome in 1998.  In earnest, the quarterback I was more delighted in seeing was the Bengals quarterback coach, Ken Anderson.  He was throwing passes in pregame warm-ups and I thought I was going to faint.  I did not think I’d see him throw another pass.

In that game, the Colts won 39-26, Peyton threw 3 touchdown passes.

In P’s second year, the Colts finished 13-3 and won the division.  It all got better from there.

I don’t have much Peyton memorabilia.  The bear is a 1998 model, Peyton’s rookie season.  The action flat is draft pick model, before he threw that pass.  The cup, I think it is 1999.  I have one with Peyton, one with Edge, and one with Marvin.  If you know the Colts you know those names.

I was fortunate to see Peyton play a number of games.  One that stands out in my mind is a 38-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in 2003.  I was sitting on the first row in front of the end zone pylon and watched Peyton throw 4 of his 5 td passes in that end zone.  But…the most amazing thing I saw that day was the footwork and horizontal movement of Michael Vick.  To this day I have never seen anyone move like that.  I’ve seen a great deal of football.

I was there the night Peyton and Marvin Harrison set the record for the most TDs between a quarterback and a receiver.  That was on Monday Night game against the Rams in 2005.

But know this…I was calling high school football games on radio in 2004-2009.  During that time an Indiana high school football renaissance was happening that still lives today on Friday nights at high schools all over the state of Indiana.  Folks show up to watch and they know what they are watching for a change.  Friday nights are a happening now.  Thank you, Peyton.  We owe you.

In 1978 I was at a high school football game in Mitchell, Indiana.  One of the opposing fans was yelling at the ref…calling him a “Homer”.  A lady sitting next to the man said,  “How do you know that Homer fella?”

I was ten.  I thought I would faint.

Peyton Manning changed all that.  He is the State of Indiana’s all time football ambassador.

Let’s not forget that.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson