Yahoo Lifestyle Why Peyton Manning Owes His Career to His Wife
Peyton Manning is considered one of the greatest living quarterbacks in NFL history—the first to lead more than one franchise (the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos) to a Super Bowl win. But for all his athletic prowess, the star QB couldn't have accomplished what he did without the support of his wife of more than 20 years, Ashley Manning (née Thompson).
In fact, in the last third of his career, it was Ashley who pushed him to keep going after a neck injury.
"Ashley was the one that was saying, ‘Peyton, you’ve got to try. You’ve got to try.’ With this injury, nothing was happening. Nothing. For weeks. There was no progress. It was so frustrating. But she’s like, ‘You’ve got to try.’ So I was glad that she pushed me to do it. Once I did it, I was going at it, and then I started seeing a little bit of light there." He went on to play for five more years for the Broncos.
Keep reading for more about the woman who scored a touchdown on Peyton's heart.
Related: Everything to Know About Patrick Mahomes' Wife
How did Ashley and Peyton Manning meet?
Ashley's childhood neighbor introduced her to Peyton at a University of Tennessee frat party shortly before his freshman year at the college, in 1994. According to Manning, A Father His Sons and a Football Legacy, written by Peyton and his footballer father, Archie, it was not love at first sight, at least not for Ashley.
"It was in August, at one of the few fraternity parties I went to. We were introduced and only talked a little while," he recalled in the book (via People). "I didn't make a big first impression (she said later my pastel shirt was a turnoff), but I was certainly impressed...With all her qualities, I think what pleased me most about Ashley, though, was that she liked me for who I was, not what I was."
Ashley, who hailed from Memphis, attended the University of Virginia, so the two maintained a long-distance relationship throughout their college years.
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When did Ashley Manning marry Peyton Manning?
Ashley and Peyton were married on St. Patrick's Day in 2001, in Peyton's hometown of New Orleans. The wedding had a whopping guest list of about 600 people, according to Peyton's father Archie.
Do Ashley and Peyton Manning have any children?
Ashley and Peyton have two children, 13-year-old twins Marshall and Mosely, who were born March 31, 2011, ten years after their parents wed. The family lives in Denver, Colorado.
What does Peyton Manning's wife Ashley do for a living?
Ashley, who keeps the details of her private and professional life mostly under wraps, works in real estate and owns a minority stake in the Memphis NBA team, the Grizzlies, which she bought in 2012.
"I'm very independent," Ashley once told Indianapolis Woman magazine. "I do a lot of my own things. I like to stay out of the spotlight; people may think I am aloof, but I'm not, and I am not shy by any means, but I always let Peyton shine."
Paying it forward is also very important to both Peyton and Ashley. The couple founded the Peyback Foundation in 1999, which provides leadership and growth opportunities for at-risk children, and Ashley has also co-chaired projects with her husband that benefit the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent.
