When Peyton Manning retired from the game of football earlier this month, he left behind a great legacy that will never be forgotten. His first NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts, plans to honor Manning by retiring his jersey number, No. 18, and building a statue of their beloved quarterback outside of Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts announced the news during a press conference on Friday with Manning present.
Manning returned to Indianapolis to attend a ceremony in his honor. He reminisced on his 14 seasons with the team, during which he led the team to 8 division championships and won a Super Bowl in 2007. Manning eventually parted ways with the Colts due to injuries in 2012 and moved on to Denver.
“It seems like a short four years ago we were up here on a difficult day,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said. “I’m happy to report that as we temporarily went different directions, we both enjoyed a lot of success on the field. It was always strange watching 18 out there without the horseshoe on his helmet, not always easy. I think I speak for all Colts fans when we feel like he’s ours.”
Though Peyton retired as a Bronco, he feels the same way about the Colts organization. “It was my honor and privilege to play for this organization for 14 years,” Manning said. “I’ll always be a Colt.”
