INDIANAPOLIS – As Peyton Manning prepares to join football immortality in the Hall of Fame he has many incredible moments to look back on.
The No. 1-overall pick by the Colts in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, Manning played for 18 seasons for the Colts (1998 to 2011) and the Denver Broncos (2012-15), winning two Super Bowl titles, including Super Bowl XLI with the Colts during the 2006 season.
But when the "Sheriff" looks back on his career ahead of being enshrined in Canton, one moment stands above the rest.
Manning joined NFL Network to discuss his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, and when asked about his favorite football moment he shared the following about beating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2006:
"It's so hard to pick one. Certainly Indianapolis, we had so many good years, just didn't always finish the way that we wanted to. And then finally in 2006 we played the AFC Championship game at home, made a comeback against the great Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. I just remember, kinda from that time we took a knee to kinda the locker room, to getting to celebrate with my family. Had a great after party in downtown Indianapolis with family and friends and just the electricity in that city knowing it was the first opportunity for the World Championship to come to Indianapolis. There was a buzz and a lot of confidence going down into that Super Bowl because we had finally gotten over the hump against the Patriots. So I just remember kidna slowing down, having a chance to really take that night in and realize it is not just about you as a quarterback or your teammates. It is the fans, it is the people that have been going to the old Hoosier Dome since 1984 when the Colts moved from Baltimore. Some pretty lean years for a while. That was just a moment where the entire city and state and the players all celebrated together. That's one that just sticks out as a pretty fun moment."
Similar to Manning, for many Colts fans, it doesn't get much better than that AFC Championship.
Down 21-3 at one point to the New England Patriots at the RCA Dome, it seemed as if the Colts were once again going to see a promising season end with a loss to their hated rivals.
But Manning had other plans.
The Colts would eventually come all the way back to tie the game at 21, and it was an absolute thriller from there. Center Jeff Saturday dove on a fumbled ball in the end zone to tie the game again at 28, and Reggie Wayne had one of the most incredible — and, for a brief moment, one of the scariest — catches in franchise history to set up the eventual game-winning rushing touchdown by running back Joseph Addai.
The game was sealed on the ensuing Patriots drive, when cornerback Marlin Jackson stepped in front of a Tom Brady pass attempt for the interception, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The Colts were finally going to the Super Bowl.
Relive the entire Colts Classic below:
