Peyton Manning, who elevated quarterback play to an art form with his brilliant throws, sweeping knowledge of the game and those unforgettable pre-snap theatrics, reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Manning led a Class of 2021 that featured two other first-ballot Hall of Famers – Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and Raiders and Packers defensive back Charles Woodson – as well as longtime Buccaneers and Broncos safety John Lynch and Steelers, Jets and Cardinals All-Pro guard Alan Faneca in the modern day category.
Former Cowboys wideout Drew Pearson was selected from the seniors category, and two-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Flores of the Raiders was also selected. Former Steelers scout and personnel executive Bill Nunn was selected in the contributors category.
Manning broke or set every meaningful quarterback record during a 17-year career with Indianapolis, where he was the first overall pick in 1998, and later Denver, where he signed as a free agent in 2012 after being released by the Colts because of a neck injury.
He led each team to a Super Bowl victory – Indianapolis after the 2005 season and Denver after the 2015 season. In his final NFL game, he helped the Broncos to a 24-10 win over Carolina, returning earlier that season from a benching due in part to lingering problems from further neck problems.
Manning threw for a record 539 touchdown passes – a mark that has since been broken – and was 186-79 over his career. Manning is the son of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and the brother of former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who also finished with two Super Bowl victories before retiring at the end of the 2019 season.
Manning, who opted to stay at Tennessee for his senior year in 1997 after then Jets coach Bill Parcells couldn’t guarantee he’d pick him with the first overall draft pick that year, was taken first overall by the Colts. After going 3-13 as a rookie, he had only one more losing season and dominated the NFL throughout much of his career. He and Tom Brady had a legendary rivalry, with Brady winning 11 of their 17 head-to-head matchups. In five playoff meetings, Manning won three times.
Johnson, the second overall pick in 2007, had a brilliant nine-year career in Detroit before retiring because of a compilation of injuries. He finished with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards in 2011 (1,681) and 2012 (1,964). At 6-5, 237 pounds, he was considered a prototype receiver who could dominate teams even though facing double coverage on a regular basis.
Woodson played 18 seasons for the Raiders, where he was a first-round pick out of Michigan in 1998, and Green Bay, where he signed as a free agent in 2006. He helped the Packers to a Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season. Woodson played cornerback his first 14 seasons and then became one of the league’s premier safeties the final four years of his career. A nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All Pro, Woodson finished with 62 interceptions.
Faneca was a model of consistency during a 13-year career with the Steelers, where he was a six-time first team All Pro guard, Jets and Cardinals. He played two seasons with the Jets in 2008-09 before finishing his career in 2010 with Arizona. Faneca was selected to the Pro Bowl both seasons with the Jets. The Jets went to the AFC Championship Game in 2009, with Faneca helping anchor a running attack dubbed the “ground and pound” by former coach Rex Ryan.
Lynch was a Hall of Fame finalist for the eighth time and will now be fitted for a gold jacket after this year’s selection. Lynch developed into an All Pro safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played from 1993-2003 and played four seasons with the Broncos. Lynch, now the 49ers’ general manager, finished with 1,054 tackles, 13 sacks and 26 interceptions and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All Pro.
Pearson, who made the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1973, played 11 seasons and in 1983 surpassed Bob Hayes as the team’s all-time receiving leader. Pearson was a part of three Cowboys teams that went to the Super Bowl, including a victory in Super Bowl XII in 1978.
Flores led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories after helping resurrect the career of former No. 1 overall quarterback Jim Plunkett. Flores, the first Latino head coach to play quarterback in the NFL and first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl, led the Raiders to championships after the 1979 and 1983 seasons.
Nunn was one of the NFL’s most successful scouts and was a pioneer as one of the first African American front-office executives with the Steelers. He was particularly adept at drawing talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU’s) and was responsible for drafting several players who contributed to the Steelers’ 1970’s dynasty that included four Super Bowl championships.
