'Take that guy off the field and just don't even put him back' – Former NFL player describes how savage Peyton Manning was as a QB
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is as respected as any player that's ever played in the NFL. But that doesn't mean the Tennessee Vols legend was always easy to play with. In fact, at times, it was quite the opposite. Manning was extremely demanding — he held himself and his teammates to a high […]
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is as respected as any player that's ever played in the NFL.
But that doesn't mean the Tennessee Vols legend was always easy to play with.
In fact, at times, it was quite the opposite. Manning was extremely demanding — he held himself and his teammates to a high standard. And if a player didn't meet that standard, he could quickly find himself in the doghouse.
Former NFL fullback Chris Gronkowski, who spent two seasons as Manning's teammate, recently joined the NFL Players Second Act Podcast and he described what it was like to be on the same team as the Sheriff.
Gronkowski spent the 2011 season with the Indianapolis Colts. Even though Manning didn't play in 2011 due to injury, the 14-time Pro Bowl quarterback apparently liked Gronkowski enough that the Denver Broncos traded for the fullback after signing Manning ahead of the 2012 season.
"I was the first guy, I guess, in the Peyton Manning era at the fullback position," said Gronkowski. "So I got there, they gave me a playbook, it had six plays in it. I was like, man, this is easiest playbook I've ever seen in my life…it was kind of like, "Hey, we don't know if Peyton's gonna play yet or not. So if he doesn't play, we need some run game'. So that's why I ended up there.
"But with that [said], nothing. So I just played special teams. And then [Peyton] goes and [signs with] Denver. And it was like a week later, [the Colts] traded me to Denver. So I'm like, man, I think Peyton actually likes me a little bit. So that's pretty cool. So I got there, Peyton, I mean, he's the offensive coordinator on the field is really what it was. The guy is next level. It's kind of like just having a coach on the field. He knows everything. If you mess up, you're done. If a receiver ran the wrong route, it was just like, take that guy off the field, just don't even put him back on [the field]. So you had to know what was going on. You had to be ready for it. He came out there, he installed his offense, and really quickly, I realized that his offense is never going to have a fullback in it. And I just kind of went back to my role of just playing all special teams at that point."
"I did get one catch from him," added Gronkowski. "I got a first down. I got the picture saved on my Facebook page and the whole deal. So I got one from Peyton."
First off, Peyton telling the Broncos to trade for a fullback that is barely going to be used in the offense is just further proof that Peyton is all about the details. For whatever reason, he trusted Gronkowksi and brought the fullback to Denver just in case it was something the Broncos needed.
Secondly, the fact that Peyton held every player to a high standard is almost certainly a huge reason why the Broncos found instant success with Manning at quarterback. Manning wasn't at his best when Denver won the Super Bowl in 2015, but the culture that Manning helped create — on both sides of the ball — was the foundation that carried the Broncos to a win against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
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