Manning a quintessential Distinguished American

NEW HAVEN — Archie Manning, tuxedo, bowtie, looking as distinguished as any Distinguished American in Walter Camp history, took a seat on one of the cushioned chairs that serve as the visitors bench for Yale basketball games.

He looked around Payne Whitney gym, considered the building’s Gothic Revival style, cozy environs, broke into a smile and then broke into an easy stream of consciousness.

“I’ll tell you, this is some place,” Manning said late Saturday afternoon. “Being down South it’s kind of hard, but I try to keep up with the Ivy League. Buddy Teevens (Dartmouth head coach) still runs our football camp, has for 23 years, so I keep up with Dartmouth. Buddy’s a good guy.

“This is my first time to the Walter Camp dinner, first time to Yale and New Haven, but I know all about it. Peyton came here with the All-America team. Like I said, I know all about it. I’ve been to the Maxwell, been to the Davey O’Brien. The Walter Camp has a great reputation.”

Over the years, Manning said he has met some of the Walter Camp folks. Past presidents, members of the board, they’d been down to Ole Miss. He keeps chatting unbroken, unencumbered for nearly five minutes. Somewhere along the line, you realize Archie Manning shouldn’t be sitting on the visitors bench. He should be on the home side. Men like him, decent men, are the best of us. They are Amer-

Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press file photo Archie Manning received the Distinguished American award from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.