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Born Elisa Archibald Manning III on May 19, 1949, the man better known to the football world as Archie Manning was one of the National Football League's great talents in the league's glory days during the 1970s. After growing up in rural Drew, Mississippi, Manning went to the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss, to play football. The Rebels were not the best team in college football even then, but Manning helped make them better. Manning threw for more than 4,700 yards during his time at Ole Miss, from 1968-1970. He was the star of the 1969 Mississippi-Alabama game, the first college football game ever televised.

During his time at Ole Miss, Manning racked up 436 passing yards and passed for three touchdowns, but the Rebels still lost by a point. Manning was twice a member of the All-SEC team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 for his efforts at Ole Miss. Manning's number 18 was retired by the University. Manning, like his sons Eli and Peyton, never won the Heisman although he was close. Archie finished fourth in the 1969 balloting and third on the 1970 ballots.

After his stellar career at Ole Miss, the New Orleans Saints drafted him second overall in the 1971 NFL draft, after little-known Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett. The West Coast star beat Manning out for the Heisman in 1971 as well, but Plunkett's career never amounted to much, and he did not play after 1976. Manning's career did not live up to expectations either. He was an individual star for the Saints, but the beleaguered franchise never did well during his tenure there. Manning, who was sacked quite often behind a poor offensive lined, played for the Saints for a decade and managed to be named the AFC's Player of the Year in 1978 and went to the Pro Bowl in 1978 and 1979. Despite Manning's play, the Saints did not have a single winning season during his time there, making Manning's professional career a bust in many people's eyes.

After his decade with the Saints, Manning played briefly with the then Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings although neither team was successful under his leadership. Manning retired from playing football in 1984 with 23,000 passing yards and 125 touchdown passes. He made his home in New Orleans after his pro career ended poorly. Manning's supporters argue that he never had a strong team around him while his detractors believe that Manning's playing style and ability was not up to NFL standards. Still, Manning is one of the legends of the game and is still popular among Rebel and Saints fans.

Today, Manning remains a popular figure in the South despite his professional playing career. Ole Miss still honors him with 18 mile per hour speed limits throughout campus, and he works as a broadcast analyst for college football games. Manning's personal life went arguably better than his professional one, as he and wife Olivia have three sons, Cooper, Peyton, and Eli, and two grandchildren, Archie and May.

Manning's biggest contribution to sports may in fact be his sons Peyton and Eli. Cooper played football in high school and as a freshman in college, but an injury to his back ended his playing days. Peyton disappointed many Rebel fans when he elected to go to the University of Tennessee where he quarterbacked their football team to the 1998 National Championship. Now the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton's professional career has gone arguably better than his father's career.

Eli did not upset Rebel fans, however, when he decided to go to the University of Mississippi in his father's shadow. Despite the grand expectations, Eli did not live up to his father's legacy there although he did much to help the image of the Mississippi team. Eli did well at Mississippi and was the first overall draft pick in 2004 NFL draft, as his brother had been in the 1998 draft. Although drafted by the San Diego Chargers, Eli was traded to the New York Giants, where he is the starting quarterback. The trade was a much-rumored move and said to be the inside work of his father, Archie, angering many football fans in San Diego.



By Julia Mercer