At the end of his junior year at the University of Tennessee, Peyton Manning found himself in an enviable position. The star quarterback of the Tennessee Volunteers had already acquired enough credits to graduate with honors and was certain to be the first pick in the 1997 NFL draft. He stunned the football world by passing up the chance to go pro at age 21, choosing instead to remain in school another year and continue his studies. When he graduated in 1998, he received Phi Beta Kappa honors and the coveted Sullivan Award as the nation’s premier student athlete, a prize based on character and leadership as well as athletic performance.

Since joining the Indianapolis Colts as the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft, he has shattered the league’s records for passing and scoring. In his first nine seasons, Manning has completed more passes, and thrown for more yards and more touchdowns than any other player in a comparable span of time. He has twice been named Most Valuable Player in the regular season, and has made seven Pro Bowl appearances. He has also recorded four perfect games, another NFL record. In February of this year, he led the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI, winning Most Valuable Player honors in the championship contest.

And yet, Peyton Manning considers his most important accomplishments to be those he has achieved off the field. In 1999, he established the PeyBack Foundation to open avenues of success to disadvantaged youth, providing leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. As President of the Foundation, he is active in all major decisions concerning its initiatives. The Foundation supports programs in his home town of New Orleans, in Tennessee where he went to college, and in Indianapolis, where he makes his home today. They include support for inner city sports programs, academic coaching, field trips for at-risk children, distributions of books, clothing and food for needy families, and individual grants to classroom teachers for special projects. This work has enabled Manning to touch the lives of thousands of young people. Peyton Manning has proven himself a leader both on and off the field.