DENVER - Archie Manning woke up Sunday and felt the need to have a little talk with his wife, Olivia, the cheerleader and homecoming queen the Ole Miss star married in 1971, right after the New Orleans Saints made him the second overall pick in the NFL draft.
Despite his considerable skills, Manning never once reached the playoffs with the Saints, and the injuries and later-life surgeries have made his limp a constant reminder of the fierce punishment he absorbed. But in the hours before the Denver Broncos faced the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the father of two Super Bowl MVPs and a middle child, Peyton, who ranks among the all-time greats, wanted to remind Olivia of just how blessed they've been.