With his usual touch of humility, Peyton Manning accepted yet another award Saturday night.
But, considering its namesake, this award really meant something to the legendary Indianapolis Colts quarterback.
Manning was in Kansas City to accept the 10th annual Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football at the 48th annual 101 Awards, which honors the NFL's greatest players and coaches.
Manning, who retired following the 2015 season as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, has, perhaps more importantly, been a noted pillar in the communities in which he's played. The Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football recognizes Manning's "positive impact to the game, both on and off the field, during his illustrious career," according to a release.
"It was a tremendous honor to receive that call, and I don't really consider myself worthy of this award considering the past winners, but I'm certainly humbled and honored," Manning said Saturday night, via Chiefs.com. "Just what Mr. Hunt did for football, every NFL player should be thankful for everything that he did."
Hunt, the founder and former owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, was an extremely influential football figure for decades, having founded the American Football League — at first a rival league to the NFL, before the two merged in 1970 — and also being key to the formation of the Super Bowl. A 1972 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Hunt died in 2006 at the age of 74.
"In addition to being one of the greatest to ever play the game, Peyton Manning reshaped the way the quarterback position is played and transcended the sport to become one of the most popular athletes of his generation," Clark Hunt, Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs — and son of the award's namesake — also said in a release. "Throughout his career and into retirement, (Manning) has handled the many demands of a superstar with class, respect and dignity. Our family is thrilled to add Peyton's name to the outstanding list of previous recipients over this first decade of the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football."
No. 18 is actually the third representative from the Colts to receive the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football in its 10 years, joining Hall of Fame head coaches Tony Dungy (2009) and Don Shula (2013). Other recipients have included "The Foolish Club" (the eight original AFL team owners), Monday Night Football, NFL Films, Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, Paul Tagliabue, Super Bowl I and Al Michaels.
