Peyton Manning headlines Hall of Fame Class of 2021 in first year of eligibility

Peyton Manning, who elevated quarterback play to an art form with his brilliant throws, sweeping knowledge of the game and those unforgettable pre-snap theatrics, reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Manning led a Class of 2021 that featured two other first-ballot Hall of Famers — Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and Raiders and Packers defensive back Charles Woodson — as well as longtime Buccaneers and Broncos safety John Lynch and Steelers, Jets and Cardinals All-Pro guard Alan Faneca in the modern day category.

Former Cowboys wideout Drew Pearson was selected from the seniors category, and two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Flores of the Raiders also was selected. Former Steelers scout and personnel executive Bill Nunn was selected in the contributors category.

Manning broke every meaningful quarterback record during a 17-year career with Indianapolis, which made him the first overall pick in 1998, and Denver, which signed him as a free agent in 2012 after he was released by the Colts because of a neck injury.

He led each team to a Super Bowl victory — Indianapolis after the 2005 season and Denver after the 2015 season. In his final NFL game, he helped the Broncos to a 24-10 win over Carolina after returning earlier that season from a benching due in part to lingering issues from further neck problems.

"I called John Elway, called Dan Marino, called Troy Aikman, called Brett Favre, to let them know and [tell them] how thankful I am to be on the same team as them," Manning said shortly after he got word about his honor in an interview with the Broncos’ website. "And the impact they had on me, either studying them or them talking to me after a game, or whatever it may be."

Manning threw a record 539 touchdown passes — a mark that has since been broken — and was 186-79 in his career. He is the son of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and the brother of former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who also finished with two Super Bowl victories before retiring at the end of the 2019 season.

Manning, who opted to stay at Tennessee for his senior year in 1997 after then-Jets coach Bill Parcells couldn’t guarantee he’d pick him with the first overall draft pick that year, was taken first overall by the Colts. After going 3-13 as a rookie, he had only one more losing season and dominated the NFL throughout much of his career.

He and Tom Brady had a legendary rivalry, with Brady winning 11 of their 17 head-to-head matchups. In five playoff meetings, Manning won three times.

Johnson, the second overall pick in 2007, had a brilliant nine-year career with Detroit before retiring because of a compilation of injuries. He finished with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards in 2011 (1,681) and 2012 (1,964). At 6-5, 237 pounds, he was considered a prototype receiver who could dominate teams despite facing double coverage on a regular basis.

Woodson played 18 seasons for the Raiders, who made him a first-round pick out of Michigan in 1998, and Green Bay, which signed him as a free agent in 2006. His Packers won the Super Bowl after the 2010 season.

Woodson played cornerback his first 14 seasons before becoming one of the league’s premier safeties in the final four years of his career. A nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, he had 62 interceptions.

Faneca was a model of consistency during a 13-year career with the Steelers (for whom he was a six-time first-team All-Pro guard), Jets and Cardinals. He played two seasons with the Jets in 2008-09 before finishing his career in 2010 with Arizona. Faneca was selected to the Pro Bowl both seasons with the Jets. The Jets went to the AFC Championship Game in 2009, with Faneca helping to anchor a running attack dubbed the "ground and pound" by former coach Rex Ryan.

Lynch was a Hall of Fame finalist for the eighth time and now will be fitted for a gold jacket. He developed into an All-Pro safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he played from 1993-2003, and played four seasons with the Broncos. Lynch, now the 49ers’ general manager, finished with 1,054 tackles, 13 sacks and 26 interceptions. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro.

Pearson played 11 seasons and in 1983 surpassed Bob Hayes as the Cowboys’ all-time receiving leader. Pearson was a part of three Cowboys teams that went to the Super Bowl, including a win in Super Bowl XII in 1978.

Flores led the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins after helping resurrect the career of quarterback Jim Plunkett, a former No. 1 overall pick. Flores, the first Latino quarterback in the NFL and first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl, led the Raiders to titles after the 1979 and 1983 seasons.

Nunn was one of the NFL’s most successful scouts and was a pioneer as one of the first African-American front-office executives with the Steelers. He was particularly adept at drawing talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and was responsible for drafting several players who contributed to the Steelers’ 1970s dynasty, which included four Super Bowl championships.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”