Peyton is a genius

Tip to Funtime, also a pain in the butt

But as Manning has aged—he’s 33, though still childless—some teammates say he’s mellowed a bit. The rep as an insufferable workaholic? “I think that’s a misconception about him,” says Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who played with Manning from 2003-06. Stokley said he’s “never been around” any player as hardworking, intense, and committed as Manning—or one who can remember and process information as quickly or thoroughly. Stokley says that’s not all there is to the quarterback, though—he’s also a locker-room prankster and fun to be around. “It wasn’t like he was just all football, all the time,” Stokley says.

Whether or how much Manning lets loose is almost beside the point. As with most obsessive geniuses, the players around Manning are willing to be driven a little bit crazy because they admire his talent, goals, and results; none of the Colts complained about their empty hotel rooms after the team won the Super Bowl. “I loved the fact that he stayed until 10 on Mondays watching film and talking to coaches,” says Steve McKinney, who played on Manning’s offensive line from 1998-2001. “I had to be a dad and a husband. I couldn’t go home and start watching the plays at home for two hours. Not only that, I didn’t want to. Ten hours a day is enough.”

So while Manning could be “just like a robot” and “a little overbearing,” McKinney says he wouldn’t have wanted to line up in front of anyone else. “You’re the quarterback, brother; I’ll support you 100 percent. I love that you care so much. Because I’ve been on the other side. I’ve played with quarterbacks who were last one in in the morning, first one out at night,” says McKinney, who spent six years with the expansion Houston Texans. “Guess what? We sucked. We didn’t win.” Meadows puts it this way: “Down by six, a minute thirty on the clock, on our own 10-yard line, I want to play with No. 18.” When Manning retires, he says, “you can make a case that he was the greatest player who ever played.” The greatest ever? Must be a genius.