2016 Second Extraordinary Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 29
BY SENATORS ALARIO, ALLAIN, APPEL, BARROW, BISHOP, BOUDREAUX,
BROWN, CARTER, CHABERT, CLAITOR, COLOMB, CORTEZ,
DONAHUE, ERDEY, FANNIN, GATTI, HEWITT, JOHNS,
LAFLEUR, LAMBERT, LONG, LUNEAU, MARTINY, MILKOVICH,
MILLS, MIZELL, MORRELL, MORRISH, PEACOCK, PERRY,
PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER,
THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE
A RESOLUTION
To commend and congratulate Archie Manning on being named the 2016 recipient of the
National Football Foundation's Gold Medal.
WHEREAS, Archie Manning will be honored as the 63rd Gold Medal Recipient at
the National Football Foundation's 59th Annual Awards Dinner on December 6, 2016, at the
Waldorf Astoria in New York City; and
WHEREAS, past recipients of the NFF Gold Medal include Dr. Condoleezza Rice,
Senator John Glenn, General Pete Dawkins, Roger Staubach, Bobby Bowden, General
Tommy R. Franks, Jackie Robinson, General Norman Schwarzkopf, President George H.
Bush, Paul Brown, Jack Kemp, John Wayne, President Gerald R. Ford, President Ronald W.
Reagan, Coach Earl H. "Red" Blaik, Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White,
President John F. Kennedy, Amos Alonzo Stagg, General Douglas A. MacArthur, and
President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and
WHEREAS, Manning joined the NFF Board of Directors in 1993, has also been the
NFF Chairman since 2007, and has been the leader of a nationwide network of 120 chapters
in 47 states with more than 12,000 members; during his tenure as chairman, the NFF has
experienced remarkable growth, and his leadership played a critical role in the recent
opening of the state-of-the-art $68.5 million College Football Hall of Fame in the heart of
Atlanta; and
WHEREAS, he also oversaw the launch of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame, which
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has helped raise and distribute millions of dollars for the NFF scholarships, programs and
initiatives, and currently, the organization distributes more than $1.3 million each year and
recognizes thousands of student-athletes for their accomplishments on and off the field; and
WHEREAS, Archie Manning was born on May 19, 1949, in Drew, Mississippi, and
excelled in football, basketball, track, and baseball at Drew High School; and
WHEREAS, he was drafted for baseball by the Atlanta Braves after his senior season
in high school but chose to focus on education and his passion for football led him to accept
an athletic scholarship to the University of Mississippi; however, he continued to play
baseball at Ole Miss, playing shortstop for the Rebels in the College World Series and
receiving three more baseball draft offers; and
WHEREAS, Archie starred as the Ole Miss football team's starting quarterback for
three years, 1968, 1969, and 1970, earning the nickname Archie "Super" Manning and
playing in three bowl games; and
WHEREAS, he ended his college career with 5,576 yards of total offense, and he
accounted for a then-school-record 56 touchdowns; he still holds several school records,
with a number of his previous records having been broken by his son, Eli; he earned
All-American and All-SEC honors in both 1969 and 1970, and he finished fourth in balloting
for the Heisman Trophy in 1969 and third in 1970; and
WHEREAS, he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft by the New
Orleans Saints and played the bulk of an outstanding fourteen-year pro career with the
Saints, twice making the Pro Bowl; in 1978, he was named the NFC Most Valuable Player
by Sporting News and the NFC Offensive Player of the Year by UPI as well as receiving the
Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award the same year for his work in the community;
and
WHEREAS, Archie completed his professional career in 1984 after stops with the
Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings, with 23,911 career passing yards, 125 touchdown
passes, and 18 rushing touchdowns during his NFL career; and
WHEREAS, Manning's football accolades are numerous at both the college and pro
levels; his No. 18 became the first of only two Ole Miss jerseys ever retired by the school,
and the on-campus speed limit is also set at 18 mph in his honor (a 10 mph speed limit was
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later added in certain areas as a tribute to Eli's jersey number); he is a member of the Ole
Miss Team of the Century (1893-1992) and SEC All-Century Team; he was named an SEC
Legend in 1998; in addition to being named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989,
he is a member of multiple halls of fame, including the Mississippi Sports, Ole Miss Sports,
Gator Bowl, Greater New Orleans, Louisiana Sports and National Quarterback Club; he is
a member of the Louisiana Superdome Wall of Fame and New Orleans Saints Ring of
Honor; he was voted Mississippi's Greatest All-Time Athlete in 1992; and he was named
Mississippi's Most Popular Athlete of the Century; and
WHEREAS, Manning's post-football career has included roles as an investment
broker, broadcaster, restaurateur, endorser, founder of the Manning Passing Academy, and
philanthropist, and he has served in public relations and consulting capacities for several
local, regional and national companies, including Gatorade, Direct TV, Reebok, Nationwide,
Entergy and CBS Sports; and
WHEREAS, along the way, Archie developed another career in community service,
and he has been recognized for his work with the Boy Scouts, Special Olympics, Fellowship
of Christian Athletes, 4-H, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, United
Negro College Fund, Easter Seals, United Way, New Orleans Sports Foundation, the Allstate
Sugar Bowl Committee, the Salvation Army and others; and
WHEREAS, he headed the Archie Manning's "Run So Children can Walk" project,
and for more than twenty-five years, he hosted numerous golf tournaments to raise funds to
battle cystic fibrosis; and
WHEREAS, Archie's stature in the college football community also earned him a
prestigious spot on the inaugural College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee
during the 2014 season; and
WHEREAS, in May of 1971, Manning married his college sweetheart Olivia
Williams, and they raised three boys, Cooper, who became a partner in a successful energy
investment firm, and Peyton and Eli, who both experienced enormous success as college
student-athletes and subsequently as pro football players in the NFL; and
WHEREAS, Archie and Olivia reside in New Orleans, and in addition to their three
sons and daughters-in-law, they have eight grandchildren; and
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WHEREAS, Cooper, Peyton, and Eli have all followed their father's example as
community leaders, and the family collectively founded the Manning Passing Academy in
1996 as a way of mentoring young high school football players; over the past twenty years
the camp has reached more than 21,000 high school players, producing an annual economic
impact of more than $4.5 million for the area; and
WHEREAS, another key example of the Mannings' efforts to give back includes the
Manning Family Fund for a Healthier Mississippi, which was launched on July 23, 2014; a
partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the fund aims to address the
many health challenges facing Mississippians, including some of the highest rates in the
country for obesity, diabetes, low-birth weight, heart disease, kidney disease, hypertension,
and dementia; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of their countless contributions, Ole Miss Athletics
named its Indoor Practice Facility as the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance
Center in 2013, and in honor of the Mannings' many college football accomplishments, the
Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee created the Manning Award, which is annually presented
to the nation's best college quarterback; and
WHEREAS, Manning's connection to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a Sugar Bowl
Committee member since 1986, also includes playing a prominent role with the local NFF
Allstate Sugar Bowl Chapter in New Orleans, which annually distributes more than $40,000
in scholarships for high school football players; and
WHEREAS, Archie's numerous other accolades include being voted the 1981
Mississippian of the Year; the 2005 Legends Award from the Davey O'Brien Foundation;
the Aspire Award, a tribute to life's coaches, from the Cal Ripken Foundation; the "Father
of the Year" award from the National Father's Day Council; the 2011 Francis J. "Reds"
Bagnell Award from the Maxwell Football Club for his contributions to the game; the 2013
Pat Summerall Award from Legends for Charity; the 2016 AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Distinguished Citizen Award; the 2016 Touchdowner of the Year Award from the
Touchdown Club of Houston NFF Chapter; and the National Pathfinder Award alongside
his wife Oliva from the Indiana Sports Corporation for their contributions and dedication to
youth; and
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WHEREAS, as stated by the Awards Committee Chairman, "Coming from humble
beginnings, Archie Manning has exhibited an extraordinary work ethic throughout his life.
His exceptional composure enabled him to handle adversity both on and off the field, and
he has remained deeply committed to his family and the community. His focus has always
been on others and making those around him better. No individual is more worthy of our
highest honor..."
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
hereby commends and congratulates Archie Manning on being the recipient of the 2016
National Football Foundation's Gold Medal.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Archie Manning.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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