NEW YORK – The National Football Foundation & College Hall
of Fame (NFF) has announced that Archie Manning will become
the organization’s sixth chairman since its founding in
1947, succeeding Ron Johnson, who has fulfilled a two-year
term.
The National Football Foundation stands in the forefront of
promoting our great game, said Manning. Having served on
the NFF Board for 14 years, I am humbled that my fellow
members have asked me to take on this prestigious role. I
am truly honored to carry on the organization’s rich
traditions and critical mission of building the character
of the young men who play our great sport.
An All-America quarterback at Ole Miss, a 1989 inductee
into the College Football Hall of Fame, and a Pro Bowl
player with the New Orleans Saints, Manning has created a
reputation as leading humanitarian, leveraging his fame to
assist a wide range of causes, including his long-standing
efforts to battle Cystic Fibrosis. He currently serves in
public relations and consulting capacities for several
local, regional and national companies, including Reebok,
Gatorade, AstroTurf, Direct TV and CBS Sports.
No person serves as a better example of what our
organization represents than Archie Manning, and there is
nobody better qualified to be our chairman than him, said
NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. We are fortunate
that Archie has accepted this role, and I look forward to
working closely with him to build on the legacy created by
Ron. As Archie assumes his new position, he inherits a post
utilized by Ron to strengthen our organization’s impact
from border to border and coast to coast.
During Johnson’s tenure as chairman, the NFF positioned
itself for strong growth in the coming years. Significant
developments included relocating the organization’s
corporate headquarters from Morristown, New Jersey to
Dallas, Texas; creating a robust corporate partnership
program; implementing several new initiatives to strengthen
the NFF Chapter network; adding several new key partners to
the Play It Smart Program, including the Chick-fil-A Bowl
and the U.S. Department of Justice; adding several
prominent national leaders to the board of directors,
including Jim Delany, Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, Michael
Moe, Kevin Plank, Mike Slive, Roger Williams and Deborah
Yow; and launching the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which
significantly expands the number of scholar-athletes the
NFF recognizes each year.
“Having served on the board of The National Football
Foundation since 1993, Archie’s leadership has played a
vital role in helping to expand our organization’s impact
over the past decade,” said outgoing Chairman Johnson.
“Nobody has more passion for helping young football players
develop on and off the field, and he is a true leader who
will add significantly to the Foundation’s legacy of
promoting the good in the game.”
Johnson will remain a member of the board, assuming a new
role as chairman of the executive committee. In addition to
Johnson, past NFF chairmen include Chester J. LaRoche,
Vincent DePaul Draddy, William Pearce and Jon F. Hanson
(Emeritus). Manning follows Johnson as the second member of
the College Football Hall of Fame to serve as chairman.
Founded in 1947 under the leadership of General Douglas
MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and
renowned journalist Grantland Rice, the NFF serves as a
leading voice in the promotion of amateur football and its
ability to develop the qualities of leadership,
sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic
achievement in America’s young people.
With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The
National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a
non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed
to use the power of amateur football in developing
scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young
people.
The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy
and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings.
NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in
South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Hampshire Honor
Society, and scholarships of over $1 million for college
and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at
When people think of Archie Manning, they think football.
But Archie’s appeal transcends his athletic achievements.
People far and wide have been inspired by his warm
personality, his drive and sense of humor. He was recently
selected Father of the Year by the National Father’s Day
Council. He currently serves in public relations and
consulting capacities for several local, regional and
national companies, including Reebok, Gatorade, AstroTurf,
Direct TV and CBS Sports. For 25 years he hosted four
Archie Manning Cystic Fibrosis benefit golf tournaments in
Louisiana and Mississippi and is active in a wide variety
of charitable and civic causes.
Archie was born May 19, 1949, in Drew, Miss. He attended
the University of Mississippi where he was named an
All-American Quarterback and was the first Ole Miss player
to have his number (18) retired. The late Chucky Mullins is
the only other Rebel with his number (38) retired. He was
voted the State of Mississippi’s Greatest All-Time Athlete
in 1992, and recently named Mississippi’s Most Popular
Athlete of the Century. He was elected to the 50-Year
All-South Team (1940-1990), named one of the Top 25
Athletes of the Century in Louisiana and he and his son
Peyton were named among the 100 All-Time Greatest College
Football Players. Archie was inducted into the National
Football Foundation College Hall of Fame and is a member of
other Halls of Fame including Louisiana and Mississippi.
In 1971, Archie was the second player chosen in the NFL
draft – the number one draft choice of the New Orleans
Saints. He set Saints passing records, played in two Pro
Bowls and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1978.
He was the first player in Saints history to be inducted
into the Louisiana Superdome Wall of Fame. He concluded his
15-year career in 1985. He was also drafted four times by
major league baseball.
While in pro football, he received the Byron “Whizzer”
White Humanitarian Award, the Bart Starr Humanitarian
Award, the Spirit of Good Sports Award from the National
Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the U.S.
Jaycees named him one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans. In
2005 Archie received the Legends award from the Davey
O’Brien Foundation and the Aspire award, a tribute to
life’s coaches, from the Cal Ripken Foundation.
His community activities include Louisiana Special
Olympics, the New Orleans Area Boy Scout Council, the
Salvation Army, United Way Speakers Bureau, Allstate Sugar
Bowl Committee, New Orleans Sports Foundation, and National
Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Board of
Directors.
Archie and his wife Olivia reside in New Orleans and have
three sons, Cooper, Peyton and Eli. Cooper is an
institutional broker in New Orleans, and father of Archie
and Olivia’s granddaughter, May and grandsons, Arch and
Heid (pronounced ‘hide’). Peyton is a former All-American
at Tennessee. As quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts he
was named MVP in the National Football League in 2003 &
2004 and is a seven-time all-Pro selection. Also in 2004 he
broke Dan Marino’s record by throwing for 49 touchdowns and
in 2006 won the Walter Payton award as the “NFL Man of the
Year”. He recently led the Colts to the Super Bowl
championship and was named MVP of the game. Eli set 47
school records as quarterback of the Ole Miss Football team
and in 2003 received the Maxwell Trophy as the Outstanding
Player in College Football. Eli is the quarterback of the
New York Giants and was the No. 1 selection in the 2004 NFL
Draft.
Archie and Peyton wrote a book entitled “Manning: A Father,
His Sons and A Football Legacy”. He and his boys also
operate the Manning Passing Academy, a summer camp for high
school quarterbacks and receivers.
Peyton and Eli both claimed National Scholar-Athlete Awards
from the National Football Foundation, in 1997 and 2003
respectively, for their combined academic excellence,
football performance, and community leadership in college.
Peyton also claimed the Draddy Trophy as the absolute best
in the nation that year for his combined achievements.
In honor of the Mannings’ college football accomplishments,
the Sugar Bowl has created the Manning Award to go to the
nation’s best college quarterback. Recently the National
Father’s Day Council named Archie “Father of the Year,” and
the United States Sports Academy honored him with the 2006
Distinguished Service Award. The Indiana Sports Corporation
presented Archie & Olivia with the 2006 National Pathfinder
Award, which recognizes individuals for their contributions
and dedication to youth.