Peyton Manning recounts the heartwarming story of how his friendship with NFL rival Tom Brady started in 2009. Discover the origins of their bond.
It’s surprising for the audience to think that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are pals. The two greatest NFL quarterbacks were fierce rivals during their careers. However, they happened to be pretty close friends.
During their time on the field, they faced each other 17 times. Brady and the New England Patriots won 11 of those encounters. Despite this intense rivalry, Manning shared an intriguing story with his fans. It was during Brady’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. He revealed the depth of their friendship.
Peyton Manning shares origins of friendship with Tom Brady
Manning recounted how their bond strengthened during the 2009 offseason. That was when they decided to meet up in a small town in Tennessee. Manning had suggested a low-key meetup, but Brady’s arrival was far from discreet.
Manning humorously said, “Tom flies in on Mr. Kraft’s plane, a big, huge plane. I’m like, ‘That is not what I said. I said under the radar.’”
During their time together, the two quarterbacks engaged in various activities to stay fit. Which included playing golf, lifting weights, and practicing football routes with local high school wide receivers. To maintain their privacy, they collected the students’ phones to ensure their workout sessions remained secret.
Given the peak of their rivalry at the time, it’s surprising to think of these two competitors spending time together outside of their professional battles.
This off-season collaboration seemed to benefit their performances. Manning won his fourth MVP award in 2009. Brady was named Comeback Player of the Year after recovering from an ACL tear. That injury had limited him to just one game the previous season.
A bit more into Peyton Manning and his bond with Tom Brady
Manning, who had played college football for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, considered Tennessee a second home. Brady, however, made a grand entrance using the private jet owned by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, which certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Manning jokingly mentioned that the air traffic control detected Brady’s arrival. It was quipped about during Brady’s Hall of Fame induction as a potential “salary cap violation.”
Despite their efforts to keep their bonding session under wraps, few knew about it until Manning revealed the story. Both quarterbacks continued to excel on the field, further solidifying their legacies.
Manning, with five MVP awards, led the Indianapolis Colts to a victory in Super Bowl XLI and the Denver Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50. Brady, not to be outdone, earned three MVP awards. It followed Manning’s example by winning Super Bowls with two different teams. Notably leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl LV.
Even after their playing days ended, Brady and Manning have continued to achieve great success. Manning has built a successful business empire, while Brady is set to start his ten-year, $375 million contract as FOX Sports’ lead color commentator this season. It will be amazing to see the footballers continue their amazing friendship.