Once more for old time’s sake
“It’s probably one of the few times in the history of the league that something like this has happened where a guy who is going to be a firstballot Hall-of-Famer becomes available.”
—John Fox
“We were excited, we were all excitedexcited, when Joe came,” Hayes said. “For me, growing up in Western ernWestern Pennsylvania,Pe we had so much to talk about, which was nice. All of a sudden,su when Joe walked into the huddle,hu he made us all that much bbetter. Guys liked that. They didn’t want to let him down.”
MannManning mania
NeaNearly 20 years after Montana turned a quiet Midwestern town into a media circus and the center of the league’s attention, another futurfuture Hall of Fame quarterback has arrived in a new city, wearing ingwearing a new uniform and hoping to llift his new team to similar heights. heiA
After a star-studded 14 seasons sonsseasons with the Indianapolis Colts, PeytonPeyt Manning returns to footballfootb tonight with the Denver BroncosBron — a comeback so big and ballyhooedbally that it makes Tebowmaniamania look like a cable-station furnitureniture commercial.
And he’s doing it against the Steelers,Steele the team the Broncos defeateddefea in the wild-card round of theth AFC playoffs last season. EvenEve without Manning, the gamegam had great marquee value becausebec of what happened last yearyea in the overtime game at SportsSpo Authority Field. With him,him well, the anticipation rivals the maniam that trailed Montana when he went to Kansas City, maybemayb greater.
“It’s probably one of the few times in the history of the league that somethingso like this has happenedpened where a guy who is going to be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer becomesbecom available,” said Broncos coach JJohn Fox, who is no stranger to thesethes circumstances. Fox was a defensivedefens coordinator with the San Diego CChargers and played against MontanaMonta and the Chiefs in 1993.
“At the end of it all, I’m glad he chose us. … He’s made good headway.way. WWe’re not all the way there yet, likelik most teams in the league, but it’s been a lot fun. It’s created some excitemente and that beats the alternative.”alterna
OtherOth Hall of Fame quarterbacksbacks have left the teams with whom they won championships and becamebe icons to play out their careerscareer in a new city. Toward the end of hish glamorous 12-year career in New York, Joe Namath left the Jets in 1977 to play one disastrous season with the Los Angeles Rams. JohnnyJohnn Unitas did the same in 1973 when he went to the San Diego ChargersCharg for one season after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts. And BobbyB Layne was traded from the DetroitDe Lions to play his final four seasonsse with the Steelers.
And then there was Brett Favre, a futurefutur first-ballot Hall of Famer, who uunretired after 16 years in Green Bay as the most prolific quarterback in NFL history to join the New York Jets in 2008. Nothing understated about a pro football icon going to the world’s largest media market, eh?
It is arguable that not even Manning’s return can compare to the media circus that enveloped Favre’s unexpected arrival in New York. And the mania only grew more when Favre led the Jets to an 8-3 record.
To be sure, other marquee quarterbacks have started new — and, sometimes, even more productive — careers in other cities, such as Drew Brees in New Orleans. But none of those carried the kind of maniacal media fervor that followed Montana and Favre, and now Manning.
“You understood he was a celebrity,” said former Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, who was the secondary coach under Schottenheimer when Montana came to the Chiefs. “We had stars on our team, but, all of sudden, Joe comes into locker room and it’s like, ‘OK.’
“He brings a sense of ownership to the offense. All of a sudden, the receivers become better players. I remember the first day of practice, we had receivers diving for balls because they didn’t want to drop his pass. He walks out of the huddle and it’s just a different aura about the guy. Peyton has that. You feel like, when you have a quarterback like that, you’re destined to be a playoff team.”
Said Schottenheimer, “It has an impact on every player on your team and every person in your organization. When we decided to make the move with Joe, your entire community began to embrace what you’re doing. You’ve made a major acquisition to complement what you already have and there is a strong possibility and probability to elevate even more.”
Favre furor
Jerricho Cotchery was a wide receiver with the New York Jets when Favre came out of retirement and joined the Jets after 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
He remembers the first training camp practice in New York, when thousands of fans lined up for several hours in a hot sun just to see Favre walk onto the practice field.
And he remembers the sound of the football, zipping from Favre’s right hand, as he and his teammates watched with a mixture of awe and respect.
“He brought such a big buzz to that area,” said Cotchery, in his second season with the Steelers. “It was just crazy. It’s a little different when you have that caliber of guy coming to your locker room. If you haven’t had that type of guy, those guys are different. Brett couldn’t go to the bathroom by himself. He had to take security with him. It’s a different type of deal. But it is fun.”
Like Montana, Favre’s first game with the Jets — Sept. 7, 2008 — was on the road against the Miami Dolphins. And he didn’t disappoint. At age 37, Favre completed 15 of 22 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-14 victory. One of the touchdowns was 56 yards to Cotchery.
The following week, Favre played his first home game in the Meadowlands and the Jets lost to the New England Patriots. The Jets lost again in Week 3 in San Diego, but in Week 4, Favre threw six touchdowns in a 56-35 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. The legend of the gunslinger began to percolate.
“The buzz after that first game was ridiculous,” Cotchery said. “It brings a different type of energy to your team and everyone feeds off it because they know what that player brings to the table. They feel like they’re in every game, no matter what, because they know this guy will have them in every game. That’s how we felt about Brett.”
Favre injured his throwing shoulder that season and, after starting with an 8-3 record, they lost four of their final five games to miss the playoffs.
Favre, of course, was no ordinary player. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 70,000 yards, 500 touchdowns, 300 interceptions and 10,000 pass attempts. He is the only player to win the league’s MVP award three consecutive times. And, in 16 years with the Packers, he led them to eight division titles, five NFC title games and two Super Bowls, winning one.
Favre was traded to the Jets in August 2008, shortly after he unretired and reported to the Packers training camp. The Packers already had told Favre they were going with his understudy, Aaron Rodgers, and the two sides agreed a trade was best for both parties.
The buildup to his first game created a media frenzy, even in a city such as New York.
“I think it’s the same thing with a lot of those guys in Denver,” Cotchery said. “They haven’t played with a guy like Peyton Manning. When you get him in and you see the throws he’s making, it’s like, wow. When Brett got there, the throws he was making, you could hear the ball whistling out of his hand. Everyone was like, ‘wow.’
“It just brought energy and confidence. I imagine some of the same things are going on [in Denver]. They feel like they were a playoff team last year and they’re only going to be better with Peyton Manning behind center.”
Layne lauded
Even Pittsburgh enjoyed a time when a Hall of Fame quarterback joined the Steelers, although in a much different era.
In October 1958, long before such a move would generate so much national attention, Bobby Layne came to the Steelers in a trade with the Detroit Lions that immediately energized his teammates and brought instant success to the franchise.
After an 0-2 start, Layne, 31, was acquired by the Steelers after leading the Lions to two NFL championships. He was reunited with his old head coach, Raymond “Buddy” Parker, and immediately led the Steelers to a 24-3 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in his first game.
Unlike the scene that will unfold tonight at Sports Authority Field in Denver, only 23,153 fans showed up at Pitt Stadium to see Layne play for his new team.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney, a front-office executive at the time, picked Layne up at the airport when he arrived.
“He questioned me the whole way, wanting to know everything about the players, the coaches and the city,” Rooney said in his book, “My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL.” “From the time his foot hit the ground on the field at South Park, Bobby Layne was in charge. He was that kind of guy, always in command.”
The Steelers will get another look at someone like that tonight.