Like it is

Manning's speech blends best of sports, life

Cliff Harris Award winner Connor Harris (no relation) with Archie Manning of New Orleans and Cliff Harris of Dallas at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet, held Jan. 19, 2017, in the Ambassador Grand Ballroom of the Embassy Suites in Little Rock.
Cliff Harris Award winner Connor Harris (no relation) with Archie Manning of New Orleans and Cliff Harris of Dallas at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet, held Jan. 19, 2017, in the Ambassador Grand Ballroom of the Embassy Suites in Little Rock.

It was a glorious night. Bazilliant.

When David Bazzel and 16 others started the Little Rock Touchdown Club 13 years ago, they couldn't have dreamed in their wildest imaginations a season-ending banquet like the one Thursday night.

Something in the neighborhood of 500 watched as 40 athletes, coaches and broadcasters were honored, but the crowning of a special night was the elegant, touching, humorous talk by Archie "Who?" Manning.

That "Who?' came before the 1970 Sugar Bowl, and it was on buttons that Arkansas Razorback fans wore in regards to Manning, who was Ole Miss' quarterback. By the time the game ended most were no longer wearing the buttons.

To understand the impact of Manning's talk one must know that Cliff Roaf -- Willie Roaf's father, who was there to represent his son and the trophy named after Willie -- was thought to have stolen the show.

In a few spellbinding minutes, he spoke with such passion about hope for the future that he got a standing ovation.

When Manning got to the microphone, he mentioned that he was following a tough act.

Manning's talk wasn't just funny stories or anecdotes about his playing days. It wasn't just him sharing his moving acceptance speech the night he was honored by the National Football Foundation with its Gold Medal, one of the highest honors in college football and the reason why he's considered by many as the No. 1 ambassador for college football.

The meaning of his talk was in the body of the work.

He managed to mention Cliff Harris, who also has an award named after him, Roaf, Keith Jackson, Joe Kleine and Scott Hastings.

Manning told the story about a request from longtime friend Keith Ingram, before he was a state senator, for a football autographed by Peyton Manning. Archie's son is considered one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks, and the football was for an auction at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Pat Summerall golf tournament.

"Joe and Scott got into a bidding war," Archie Manning said. "They were really getting after it. The ball had Peyton's signature in big letters across it. Scott finally won the bid, I think it was $3,000, and when we were leaving Scott stopped me in the parking lot.

"I thanked him for paying so much for the ball to help the Hall of Fame, and he said, 'Yeah, yeah, but what's this little 4-0 down here under it.'

"Well, Peyton is a great guy, but he isn't perfect. I told Scott that was his record against Arkansas."

Peyton played at Tennessee, and Manning didn't mention the autographed jersey he got Peyton's senior season for another auction, that one for Kenyana Tolbert, who had been paralyzed from the neck down in his senior season at North Little Rock. That auction raised more than $108,000.

He told the story about being at the home of Eli, the youngest of his three sons, in Oxford, Miss., and a neighborhood boy asking whether Eli -- who has won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants -- would autograph a football for him.

Later Archie ran into the boy's dad, who said his son told him: " 'Eli signed it, and then he gave it to some old man and he signed it.' Guess I'm not that big of a deal in Oxford."

Manning talked about his oldest son, Cooper, and mentioned his wife, Olivia.

This man who holds the record for touchdowns at Ole Miss -- where the speed limit is 18 mph (his old number) -- and who played 16 years in the NFL and is a successful businessman still loves football, but it doesn't define his legacy.

The three components of that acceptance speech were faith, family and football. It was obvious Thursday night faith and family came before football.

Sports on 01/22/2017

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