Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning quarterbacked the Indianapolis Colts to a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl of 2007. Manning entered the National Football League when he was chosen by the Colts as the first overall draft pick in 1998. The son of NFL quarterback Archie Manning, Peyton was a star at the University of Tennessee for four years before turning pro. Peyton has since compiled a brilliant record that puts him among elite NFL quarterbacks like Brett Favre and Steve Young. Manning is known especially for his durability -- he's missed one play in his entire professional career (in 2001) and is second only to Favre in consecutive starts. Off the field, Manning's average-guy appeal has made him one of the NFL's more visible players, and he can be seen advertising a variety of products on TV and in print. Manning's critics long argued that his prowess on the field was overshadowed by his team's reputation for coming up short in big playoff games; despite season after season of stellar play and winning records, Manning and the Colts did not advance to the Super Bowl until 2007. That year he led the Colts to the championship and was named the Super Bowl's most valuable player.

Extra credit: Peyton Manning wears jersey number 18... Archie Manning played for the New Orleans Saints, the Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings in a career that lasted from 1971 to 1984 ... Peyton's younger brother Eli plays quarterback for the NFL's New York Giants.