Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has always tried to emulate Peyton Manning

Russell Wilson will have plenty to do on Feb. 2. He'll be quarterbacking the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and when he's not on the field trying to make plays he'll be on the sideline going over defensive pictures and trying to figure out what to do next.

But he promised himself that at some point in the game he'll take a peek.

"I'll probably watch a few snaps here and there," he said.

The attraction is the maestro quarterback of the opposing team, Peyton Manning. Even Wilson wants to see what Manning does in this, his third Super Bowl.

It's been like that for most of Wilson's life. He first met Manning when he was a 10th grader attending the Manning Passing Academy. There were thousands of kids at the camp, but Wilson happened to be in Peyton Manning's group.

"I liked him so much back then and I still do," Wilson said. "The way he plays the game, he's a tremendous individual. He has great attention to detail, great leadership and has won a lot of games . . . I love him to death."

Manning entered the NFL in 1998. Wilson was 9 years old at the time. So of course there is some level of admiration. Wilson has tried to emulate Manning not only as a quarterback but as the face of a franchise and maybe, one day, the league. Manning has become a national spokesman of sorts with commercials deals and appearances. "His brand is great," said Wilson, who is just getting started managing his own celebrity. This week will help him in that regard.

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Wilson said he visited the Broncos as part of his pre-draft interview process before the 2012 draft and Manning, who had just signed with the team, happened to be in the locker room as Wilson passed through.

"He said, 'Have I seen you before?' '' Wilson said. "I was like, 'Yeah, you coached me at the Passing Academy.' ''

Wilson said he was impressed at the camp by how much Manning cared for the young players in the group. Beyond that, he said, there was plenty of football to absorb.

"[I remember] how much detail he always talked about and how much of a perfectionist he is," Wilson said. "I try to use that in my game. I've got a long ways to go, obviously, but I just try to do all the little things, and that's what he does."