Colts: Peyton Manning’s HOF ceremony will be even more emotional for fans

The 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony is just a month away, and Indianapolis Colts are surely counting down the hours until it gets started.

After all, Peyton Manning, arguably the franchise’s greatest-ever player, and a no-brainer selection, in his first year of eligibility, will be enshrined.

In the months leading up to the ceremony, there’s been widespread debate in terms of who’s going to present Manning during his enshrinement.

Could it be former head coach Tony Dungy? What about one of the Colts’ former offensive coordinators or QB coaches who helped Manning develop his game after a forgettable rookie season? You also couldn’t rule out his brother, Eli, as a potential candidate.

Well, after months of speculation, Manning made it official this week, revealing that his father, Archie, will be right alongside him at the podium. If Colts fans thought the ceremony was going to be emotional before this news broke, you can only imagine what the vibe will be like now.

Peyton Manning’s HOF ceremony is going to be crazy emotional for Colts fans.

"“(He) never was my coach, but always was my mentor,” Manning told reporters on Wednesday. “I can only think of about two or three games that he missed since I was in high school or college and in the NFL, obviously he didn’t go to all the road games, but watched every one of them, bit his fingernails the entire time. Just a no-brainer as far as picking him to present me and just couldn’t have a more appropriate person to do that.”"

Like countless decisions he made under center over his 13 years in Indianapolis, Manning undoubtedly made the right call by appointing Archie. While it would’ve been awesome to see Dungy, a former teammate, or even Eli present the former Colts quarterback, can you really fault him for choosing the man who was his most unwavering supporter?

Absolutely not, especially when you recall Archie never got a taste of the Hall of Fame. If you  remember, the former No. 2 overall pick was a two-time Pro Bowler and was on a bunch of losing teams in his career. For context, his career record stands at 35-101-3 over 13 years. He also never made a playoff appearance, so you can imagine what presenting his son will mean.

This will surely be an unforgettable moment for Colts fans. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind them that the entire weekend will be a surreal experience, as former Indy running back Edgerrin James, whose 2020 ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be enshrined alongside Manning.

Our advice? If you plan on attending (or even watching) have a box of tissues ready.

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