A Friendly Q&A with Peyton Manning

He’s a consultant and cover athlete for Microsoft Game Studios' NFL Fever franchise. He's also a philanthropist who not only gives generously to the community, but has also set up an organization (the PeyBack Foundation) to facilitate his charitable activities. Oh, and he’s the star quarterback for one of football’s most venerable organizations, the Indianapolis Colts. He’s Peyton Manning, and in keeping with his charitable nature, he was kind enough to answer a few questions for Xbox.com readers. Enjoy!

Xbox.com: We all see sports games that display “cover athletes.” Yet, beyond the picture on the box, most people don’t know what kind of work you do for the game. Can you give us a brief rundown of the contributions you’ve made to the NFL Fever franchise?

Peyton Manning: Well, I am honored to be on the cover of NFL Fever and associated with Microsoft® and Xbox®. It’s been a great experience learning how the games are developed and seeing the finished product. Until you experience it, you have no idea how much technology goes into making the game as realistic as possible. I spent an entire day wearing a black suit and simulating all of my moves on the field. It was an exhausting experience, but Microsoft did a great job. When I first played the game, it was incredible to see how real everything was. I also spent some time talking with the developers about various football plays and strategy. I didn’t just want my name and picture on the cover. I wanted to be involved completely with the making of the product. I hope that my input helped make the game as real as possible. I hear all the time from people about how amazed they are at the game. The graphics are unbelievable, all the way to the detail of the new stadiums, like Houston.

Xbox.com: Other than winning the Super Bowl, what is your greatest aspiration for your NFL career?

Peyton Manning: I just want to play a long time on a good team … and win a Super Bowl.

Xbox.com: Looking back on the three years you’ve been involved with Fever, what do you think is the greatest improvement to the game?

Peyton Manning: Every year the graphics seem to get better and better, but the addition of online play and the new XSN Sports technology is by far the greatest thing to happen to Fever and sports gaming. Playing your buddies online and then checking out your stats online is absolutely fascinating. I also like the addition of coaches and the new Read and Lead feature Xbox told me all about. As a quarterback, I love to be able to lead my receivers, and now I can do it in NFL Fever 2004.

Xbox.com: In commercials last year, we saw the birth of your smack-talking skills while playing Xbox Live®. What, if any, Xbox Live games (besides Fever) are you playing these days?

Peyton Manning: Nothing right now besides NFL Fever. I have some friends I play against online. I like to play after practice to relax.

Xbox.com: If we looked at your game collection right now, what would we find?

Peyton Manning: Well, let’s see. Obviously, I play a lot of NFL Fever. We have Halo, Project Gotham Racing,Amped, and NBA Live, to name a few.

Xbox.com: While perusing your Web site, I read a bit about the PeyBack Foundation, including the recent award given to Dan Marino. What was the driving force for creating the foundation?

Peyton Manning: I firmly believe in giving back to the community for the many blessings I've received in my life. That's how I came up with the name—PeyBack. I established The PeyBack Foundation in 1999 to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth. There are some wonderful people and organizations out there that are experts at helping kids grow up healthy and ultimately learn to become leaders. The best way I thought I could help was by assisting some of the wonderful existing programs that provide necessary leadership and growth opportunities for kids who are at-risk. I was blessed growing up in a loving, close-knit family, which was made stronger by the presence of my dad, Archie. Now, I want to give back to those kids who have been such terrific fans, but who may not have had the same sense of security and constant encouragement that I did as a child. Children need opportunities through which they can grow and learn. The PeyBack Foundation strives to make these opportunities available to kids who might not otherwise have the chance to participate.

We also wanted to use the foundation to recognize someone [via the PeyBack Award] currently or formerly associated with the game of football, someone who has provided service and dedication to mankind away from the football field. We thought it was appropriate to recognize those who do overwhelmingly positive deeds for their fellow man. Our first two recipients were Roger Staubach and Dan Marino.

Xbox.com: Regarding community outreach and charitable foundations in general: Where did you get the drive and commitment to become so involved in the communities around you?

Peyton Manning: All of the things we have done through the PeyBack Foundation have been extremely important and fulfilling to me. In a short period of time, we have been able to help a number of youth groups, and I am very proud of our accomplishments. I learned a lot from my father while he was playing and how much he did off the field. I have very special memories from my time in New Orleans, Tennessee, and Indiana, and those are the areas the PeyBack Foundation focuses on.

Xbox.com: Fame seems to be very unbalancing and surreal to those who wish to lead a "normal" life. What do you think grounds you the most and allows you not to be swept up in the pitfalls of celebrity?

Peyton Manning: Having grown up in the Manning family with a father who was very much in the spotlight has helped me over the years. I spend a lot of time with friends and family and accept what comes with being a quarterback in the NFL.

Xbox.com: You give out a scholarship yearly. This year, the deserving winner is Brad Russell. Can you give us a little insight on how winners are selected, and can you tell us how your college experience helped shape who you are today?

Peyton Manning: We started the Peyton Manning Scholarship in 1998. All of the recipients have been first-class people, and I have had the opportunity to meet all of them. That’s something I take a lot of pride in. I don’t like to put my name on something and not be a part of it. The scholarship is funded from awards I won while I was at Tennessee, and it covers the cost of tuition, room, and board. The award is granted to a first-year student on the basis of academic achievement, leadership, and community service. I really enjoyed my college experience, especially my senior season. You learn a lot about time management because you are dealing with so many different things—academics, athletics, and community involvement. It definitely helped shape me into the person I am today.

And what a great person he turned out to be! Thanks, Peyton, for taking the time out to answer our questions.

By Alex McLain