Despite obvious bitter feelings towards the Denver Broncos, new Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler is a huge fan of Peyton Manning.
Based on comments he made last Thursday, via the Texans website, he holds quite a high opinion of The Sheriff:
“When you start talking about what I’ve learned from Peyton and what I’ve pulled from him, we would need hours to get to the full list,” Osweiler said. “The thing I truly pulled away from Peyton is how to be a pro on a daily basis, how to be the same guy Monday through Sunday, whether it’s April or whether it’s November,” Osweiler said. “I’ll always be very appreciative for Peyton. Whether he knew it or not, I was watching him and he taught me how to be a pro.”
These comments show a deep respect by Osweiler towards Manning, who showed him what it takes to make it in the NFL for three-and-a-half years before injuries forced him out of the lineup midway through the 2015 season. They are also kind of stunning in light of recent revelations.
Over the weekend news broke, courtesy of John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, that Osweiler’s agent Jimmy Sexton never gave John Elway and the Broncos a chance to match Houston’s four-year, $72 million contract.
Mike Klis of 9News provided some behind-the-scenes insight on his Twitter account after reading McClain’s report, noting a source close to Osweiler’s family as saying “Brock was GONE from benching/switch to Peyton.”
Clearly, Osweiler didn’t appreciate being pulled in that game. He did have two turnovers to his credit, but neither one could truly be attributed to anything he had done wrong. However, because of mistakes made by his teammates, head coach Gary Kubiak called Manning into the game and the rest is history.
The old field general sparked the team by his presence, and the Broncos romped through the playoffs with Manning winning a Super Bowl ring in his final NFL game.
One would think that if Osweiler was so upset by the entire situation he’d also hold some contempt towards Manning, the man who replaced him. Not so.
Clearly, the new Texans quarterback did learn a thing or two from Manning about what it takes to be a pro, because his kind comments towards Manning could have been written by the legendary quarterback himself.
Whether or not he ends up having a long and successful career like his mentor remains to be seen. But he’s off to a terrific start showing proper respect to one of the game’s greats.