Archie Manning
New Orleans Saints
Manning
played at the University of Mississippi where he finished third in the
Heisman Trophy voting in his senior year. He was chosen by the New
Orleans Saints in the first round of the 1971 NFL college draft. He
became a starter before the end of his rookie season and in his second
year, 1972, he led the league with 448 passing attempts and 230
completions. United Press International named Manning the National
Football Conference player of the year in 1978, when he completed 291 of
471 passes for 3,416 yards and 17 touchdowns. This was a strong
statement about Manning’s abilities considering the fact that their
record in 1978 was 7-9. The best record the Saints compiled in Manning’s
12 seasons with the team was 8-8 in 1979.
During the 1982 season, Manning was traded to the Houston Oilers and he
went to the Minnesota Vikings the following year. He retired after the
1984 season. For his career, Manning completed 2011 of 3642 passes for
23,911 yards. He also rushed for 18 touchdowns.
