Legendary Archie Manning named Sports Marshal

Archie Manning, of the Manning family quarterback legacy, philanthropist, football analyst, award winner will be welcomed as Sport Marshal of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® by Sharen Gromling, Festival president.

When people think of Archie Manning, they think football. But Archie’s appeal transcends his athletic achievements. People far and wide have been inspired by his warm personality, his drive and sense of humor. He currently serves in public relations and consulting capacities for several local, regional, and national companies. For 25 years he hosted four Archie Manning Cystic Fibrosis benefit golf tournaments in Louisiana and Mississippi and is active in a wide variety of charitable and civic causes.

Archie was born May 19, 1949, in Drew, Mississippi. He attended the University of Mississippi where he was named an All-American Quarterback and his #18 is retired. He was voted Mississippi’s Greatest All-Time Athlete in 1992 and was named Mississippi’s Most Popular Athlete of the Century. He was elected to the 50-Year All-South Team (1940-1990), named one of the Top 25 Athletes of the Century in Louisiana and he and his son Peyton were named among the 100 All-Time Greatest College Football Players. Archie was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame and is a member of other Halls of Fame including the Gator Bowl and Sugar Bowl and Louisiana and Mississippi Halls of Fame. He was named an American Spirit Medallion honoree by the World War II Museum and received the SEC’s Michael L. Slive Distinguished Service Award. In December 2022, Archie was recognized by the National College Football Awards Association for his contributions to college football.

In 1971, Archie was the second player chosen in the NFL draft – the number one draft choice of the New Orleans Saints. He set Saints passing records, played in Pro Bowls, and was named the NFC Most Valuable Player in 1978. He concluded his 15-year career in 1985. He was the first player in Saints history to be inducted into the Louisiana Superdome Wall of Fame and was in the first class of the Saints Ring of Honor. He was named to the All 50th Saints team, recognized as one of the top 50 players in franchise history. He was also drafted four times by major league baseball.

His community activities include Louisiana Special Olympics, the New Orleans Area Boy Scout Council, the Salvation Army, United Way Speakers Bureau, Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee, New Orleans Sports Foundation, and is Chairman of the Board of the National Football Foundation. While in pro football, Archie received the Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award, the Bart Starr Humanitarian Award, the Spirit of Good Sports Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the U.S. Jaycees named him one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans. In 2005 Archie received the Legends award from the Davey O’Brien Foundation and the Aspire award, a tribute to life’s coaches, from the Cal Ripken Foundation. Archie was honored by the United States Sports Academy with the 2006 Distinguished Service Award. He was selected Father of the Year by the National Father’s Day Council. Also, he received the Silver Buffalo, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest award. Archie received the Reds Bagnell Award from the Maxwell Football Club, was the 51st winner of the Bert Bell Award, and was honored at the Super Bowl in New Orleans with the Pat Summerall Award. He was honored by the American Football Coaches Association and received the Distinguished American award from the Walter Camp Foundation. Archie and his wife Olivia were recipients of the National Pathfinder Award for their work in post-Hurricane Katrina. Archie received one of the highest honors in football, the Gold Medal Award, presented by the National Football Foundation. This award has gone to seven Presidents, Admirals and Generals, corporate CEOs, and other distinguished Americans.

Archie and Olivia reside in New Orleans and have three sons, Cooper, Peyton, and Eli. They are the proud grandparents of four boys and five girls.

Cooper was an all-state high school athlete and his football career at Ole Miss ended with a spinal cord injury. He is Senior Managing Director at the hotel/real estate firm, AJ Capital Partners. He is also the host of “The 2 Cooper Manning Hour (minus 58 minutes)” on Fox Sports. Cooper’s son, Arch, was rated the #1 high school player in the country in 2022. He is currently a quarterback at the University of Texas.

Peyton is a former All-American at Tennessee where his #16 is retired. He and Archie are the only father/son duo in the College Football Hall of Fame. He was the first player chosen in the 1998 NFL Draft and spent 18 years in pro football. He was named one of the top 10 pro football quarterbacks of all time. Peyton was selected to 14 Pro Bowls and named the NFL MVP five times. He retired as the NFL all-time leader in yardage, touchdown passes and wins. He quarterbacked the Colts and the Broncos to Super Bowl championships. Peyton was the NFL Man of the Year in 2006. Indianapolis unveiled a statue of Peyton in front of Lucas Oil Stadium and retired his #18. He has hosted the ESPYs and received the Lincoln Award from the White House. He was named one of the top 100 players in college and pro football. Tiger Woods and Peyton teamed up to win The Match, raising $20 million for COVID-19 relief. He was recently elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Eli was also an All-American at Ole Miss and has had his #10 retired. He won the Maxwell Award as the top player in college football. He was the first player chosen in the 2004 NFL draft. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and led the Giants to world championships in Super Bowl XLII (42) and XLVI (46) and was named MVP of both games. He was named the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Eli won the 2020 Bart Starr Character and Leadership Award and the “Good Guy” award, selected by the Pro Football Writers of America. Eli retired after 16 years with the Giants and his #10 was retired by Ole Miss and New York.

Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli were inducted into the inaugural class of the National High School Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Archie and Peyton wrote a book entitled “Manning: A Father, His Sons and A Football Legacy”. Peyton and Eli also wrote a children’s book entitled “Family Huddle”. Archie and his boys have operated the Manning Passing Academy, a summer camp for high school quarterbacks and receivers, for 27 years. Archie is an owner of Manning’s, a sports-themed restaurant on Fulton Street in New Orleans.

In honor of the Mannings’ college football accomplishments, the Sugar Bowl has created the Manning Award to go to the nation’s best college quarterback. The Manning family was named the second most inspiring family in America by Town & Country Magazine. They were featured in a highly rated documentary on ESPN entitled “The Book of Manning.

Manning will be the keynote speaker at the Partlow Sports Breakfast in the Tolley Dental Zone at the James R. Wilkins, Jr, Athletic and Events Center on the Shenandoah University campus on Saturday, May 4 at 8 a.m.  That afternoon he will be riding in the glo fiber Grand Feature Parade, which will step off at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets to Festival events are available at www.thebloom.com/events