If a Mississippian brings up "Archie," they are without a doubt talking about former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints great Archie Manning, one of the most recognizable sports figures in Mississippi history.
Born in Drew, Miss., in 1949, Manning was a high school sports star in both football and baseball. Major League Baseball teams drafted him four times: first the Braves in 1967, followed twice by the White Sox and last by the Royals in 1971. But Manning never actually signed with any of those teams.
Instead, Manning decided to play football at the University of Mississippi.
In the first-ever prime-time televised college football game, Manning put on a show against Bear Bryant and the Alabama Crimson Tide, throwing for 436 yards while completing 33 of 52 passing attempts with two touchdowns, and rushing 15 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns. While it might have been the greatest Alabama-Ole Miss game in the history of the series, it was all in all a losing effort for Manning and the Rebels, who fell to the Tide 33-32 that night in 1969.
The New Orleans Saints drafted Manning with the second overall pick in 1971. He went on to play 10 full seasons for New Orleans and had a losing season nine times, finishing .500 just once, in 1979. Manning also made it into two Pro Bowls during his time with the Saints, in 1978 and 1979.
Manning finished his career playing for the Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings. He retired as one of the few players to play more than 10 seasons, and without ever being on a team with a winning record or making the playoffs.
Manning was better known for his heroic efforts behind a leaky offensive line in New Orleans, which led to him taking a beating while trying to lead the Saints to victory. Current Saints fans might think being in the playoffs is a birthright, but older Saints fans know that pulling out a win on Sunday was something special.
On July 25, Manning will become the third person to receive the Rube Award for his lifelong contributions to sports in Mississippi. The Rube Award is named for Michael Rubenstein, the first executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and longtime TV sports reporter in Mississippi.
Dave "Boo" Ferriss and Ben Puckett are the other two winners of the Rube Award. Manning will receive his award during the 2014 Hall of Fame induction class that includes Ruthie Bolton, Doug Cunningham, Dulymus "Deuce" McAllister, Steve McNair, Calvin Smith, Richard Williams and Robin Roberts.
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