Peyton Manning strode up to the podium, with a folder containing his retirement speech. If he wanted this to be like any other corporate speech he has given — and he's given a ton — there was no chance. As prepared as Manning is for everything, there's no way to script how you'll feel walking away from a game you've given your life to.
Manning needed a few seconds before he even started his speech to compose himself.
With family, friends and former teammates looking on in the Denver Broncos meeting room, Manning had a news conference to officially announce his retirement after 18 NFL seasons with the Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. His voice was shaking most of the time as he thanked his hometown of New Orleans, the University of Tennessee, the Colts and Broncos, his old teammates and coaches, and his family. He thanked everyone, really.
He mostly held it together, but there were moments when it was obviously hard for him to realize he was saying goodbye to the NFL. It was an emotional day.
"There is something about 18 years ... 18 is a good number," Manning said. "Today, I retire from pro football."
Manning talked about missing the game, the team dinners, the great defenders he went against and the great coaches he matched wits with. He said he'll miss recapping the game with his dad, Archie, and calling his brother Eli from the team bus after games to discuss their respective games that day.
"I revere football. I love the game," Manning said. "You don't have to wonder if I'll miss the game. Absolutely. Absolutely, I will."
Manning was thorough, as one would expect. He told jokes, also as one would expect. He thanked dozens of people.
"I fought a good fight and now I finish my football race," Manning said, in the final words of his speech. "After 18 years, it's time. God bless all of you, and god bless football."
Around the Broncos facility, it was a day to celebrate Manning's legendary career. Even Broncos general manager John Elway, one of the all-time greatest players in NFL history, said when he talked to Manning before his news conference, even he marveled at Manning's career.
"There's not a guy in the NFL who can walk away and say, 'I have done everything that can possibly be done at quarterback,'" Elway said. "Peyton can do that."
Elway talked about how Manning changed the way quarterback is played, from using the no-huddle offense to diagnosing defenses before the snap, something Elway never really did.
"Peyton Manning revolutionized the game," Elway said.
At one point in his comments, Broncos CEO and president Joe Ellis turned to Manning and thanked him and told him what a joy it was watching him.
"If there is a list of achievements needed to obtain greatness, you have checked every box," Ellis said directly to Manning.
Manning gave his retirement news conference to a room overflowing with people, which isn't a surprise considering how respected he is in NFL circles.
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall told Manning he wanted to win Super Bowl 50 for him. It wasn’t just a typical thing someone says to a respected teammate. For Marshall, it went deeper than that, because Marshall felt he owed a part of his career to Manning.
“A lot of people don’t know, but Peyton is one of the reasons I’m here,” Marshall said after the game. “When I got picked up on the practice squad, I was practicing my tail off and he noticed me. He asked the coaches, ‘Who is this guy? We have to get him up.’ After he noticed me, the rest of the offensive guys started talking about me, and that allowed me to get my chance.”
In 2014 and 2015, Marshall was a starting inside linebacker for the Broncos and collected more than 100 tackles each season.
“He had a hand in me getting off the practice squad and on the roster,” Marshall said. “I love Peyton.”
Think of how many people Manning brought along for the ride. Four different coaches went to Super Bowls with him at quarterback. Longtime executive Bill Polian has said he has a Super Bowl ring and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of Manning. Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison are in the Hall of Fame’s 2016 class, and it’s fair to wonder if either of them would have made it without Manning. Countless teammates have signed contracts for millions, and how many would say that Manning had a hand in those men setting up their families for generations to come?
"Just know it isn't over you continue to take the field with everyone you have influenced," Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas, who signed a $46 million deal last year after catching 24 touchdowns in 2013 and 2014 from Manning, tweeted on Sunday.
Whether Manning helped players, coaches and executives get in the Hall of Fame, got them on a roster or simply made them better pros, it’s amazing to think about how many people his career touched.
“To play alongside Peyton the past two years has truly been a blessing,” Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders said, in a series of quotes about Manning collected by the Broncos. “Watching him and mimicking how he handled his business on and off the field is a huge reason why I’ve had success.”
Broncos center Matt Paradis: “I learned a tremendous amount from him on the field, seeing his preparation and competitiveness each day. He also instilled in me the importance of conducting myself like a true professional off the field.”
Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas said: “He was more than a teammate — he was like a brother. If you needed someone to talk to, he was there. He was the best pro I’ve ever been around." Ellis: “Our team, our organization and our community are all better because of Peyton Manning. He raised the performance of those around him and raised the level of excellence here at the Broncos.”
Colts owner Jim Irsay: “Few have left their marks on a sport as Peyton Manning has. Simply put, he revolutionized NFL football.”
It's hard to argue the last point. The history of the NFL can't be told without Manning. That's why so many showed up on Monday morning for his news conference. The Broncos had media RSVP for the event, which is a rarity for any news conference, and had an overflow room for reporters they couldn't fit in the main meeting room. There was no room along the walls to Manning's right or left, because there were so many people standing against them, just to hear Manning say goodbye.
"I'm totally convinced the end of my football career is just the beginning of something I haven't discovered yet," Manning said, his voice cracking yet again.
Longtime Denver Post columnist Woody Paige asked one of the last questions Monday, inquiring about Manning's impact on the quarterback position for generations to come. Manning praised his coaches for giving him autonomy in running the offense, and concluded the conference with this:
"It was a fun way to play quarterback, it really was. But I had great coaches and players, it wouldn't have been possible without that.
"So, Omaha."
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