QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the summer school workouts) Wednesday, June 8, 2005
"I know I say it every year, but I feel like we just get really good work out of this…the veterans, keeping their skills sharp, young players, young receivers that are out there getting in with the number one groups. With substitutions, maybe the guy is banged up and some rookie has a chance to step up. A receiver made a great play today and I heard a player say, 'Good job. Go ahead and make this team.' And that's what he's saying: 'This might be your chance to make a great catch and to catch (Offensive Coordinator) Tom Moore's eye, to catch (Defensive Coordinator Ron) Meeks' eye.' That's why it is exciting. That's why it's important for me when I'm out there, to give it my best effort, because you want to help a kid make the team, and you also want to help yourself be a better player and have a good 2005 season."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he sees a difference in the defense from last year) Wednesday, June 8, 2005
"I can, I really can. And now is the time to do that because during the regular season, we're going against the scout team. This is where we can make them better and they can make us better. Holes are tighter, coverage is tighter. You see a Marlin Jackson breaking on a ball today and taking the other way—I didn't throw it, though. But you see those plays being made, and even though you're competing and you want to do well as an offense, that gets you excited that the defense is making plays. That's the idea right now, to make both sides of the ball better so we can be the best team we can be."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on what has impressed him the most about summer school)Wednesday, June 8, 2005
"I agree with (Head) Coach (Tony) Dungy, it's been attitude, it's been positive, enthusiasm, guys bouncing around here. There have been lots of practices where guys are hustling to and from drills and making plays. We have no pads on, but they've been diving to break up passes. A lot of that's because of the young guys and there is certainly some inexperience there, but you hope that enthusiasm kind of makes up for that and they can get experience on the run."
