QB-PEYTON MANNING (on still being in Indianapolis) *Training Camp *
"I'm disappointed I can't be there today. I've never missed a practice or a meeting or an organized team activity in my whole career, and I'm certainly disappointed I can't be there with all the guys on the first day of training camp. But as the cliché goes: following doctor's orders. I'm in a positive frame of mind. I hope to be up there as soon as the doctors release me and tell me I can get up there. I'm just taking it day-to-day and hoping to get better. My goal is to get up there as soon as I possibly can."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the reasons for staying in Indianapolis) Training Camp
"I have my leg constantly compressed and elevated. I'm still on IV antibiotics and still trying to keep the risk of infection from returning as low as possible. We feel at this point that the infection has resolved itself, but to be up there around 150 guys is probably not the smartest thing at this point. Once we feel like this infection is totally out of the woods and maybe not as susceptible to it returning, then they feel like it will be safe for me to return.
"My goal when we first had the surgery (July 14) was that I would still be able to report to training camp on time, but we're just sort of being a bit cautious about it. Once I get cleared, hopefully I can get up there. I'll still be somewhat inactive, but I would just as soon be inactive up in Terre Haute at training camp."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on when he might report to Terre Haute) Training Camp
"I really don't know. Obviously it's as soon as possible. It could be as soon as (Friday), it could be sometime next week. They really haven't given me any time frame. I've really tried to be patient and tried to be positive. I really haven't hounded the doctors: 'Hey, when can I get up there? When can I get up there?' I'm not trying to influence their decision. I'm just trying to take their advice and do whatever I can, although it's pretty limited on what I can do as far as getting better. It's more just letting the medicine and letting the time take its course, and at this point just trying to ensure the infection is gone and trying to control the (swelling)."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he had a date he needed to return) Training Camp
"Once again it's hard for me to say that because this is pretty uncharted territory for me. I really don't have an idea of how much time I need because I've never had to experience it. I've always taken all the repetitions and had a hundred percent of the participation in training camp and minicamps and whatnot. So it's a little uncharted territory for me. Obviously you hope through 11 years with me . . . with the minicamps and the summer school that I have enough deposits in the bank in order to be ready for this season maybe without as much training camp time.
"Now, to think you can just parachute in there on Sunday (Sept. 7) into the new stadium on the day of the Bears game and think you're ready to go is ridiculous, so obviously I'm going to need some time and I'm going to want some time and I hope that can be as much as possible. Obviously it's whatever the doctors tell me and however the trainers and the rehab comes along, but the sooner I can get out there the better."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on when he realized he would need surgery) Training Camp
"I woke up 10 days ago on Monday in New Orleans, we had just finished our high school football camp that we have, and I woke up Monday morning in severe pain, which was brand new. I had been experiencing some swelling throughout the offseason, but it never caused me to miss any sort of workout. I really had a great offseason as far as weightlifting, my throwing, my running and my conditioning were all normal as in years past. I was controlling the swelling with treatment and with occasional drainings. We felt like we had control of it, with me just experiencing a little pain.
"But I woke up that Monday in severe pain and really had trouble walking. I knew something wasn't right, and I jumped on a plane and flew back to Indianapolis right away and determined that there was an infection and that's what caused this pain. I guess it would be similar to, I've never had it, but to what appendicitis can feel like and how an infection can cause that much pain. Therefore, we decided we needed to take some course of action so we decided to remove the bursa sac."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the timetable for his surgery) Training Camp
"It was one day, like I said it really happened pretty fast. I certainly didn't see it coming. It was something that was very unexpected, but knowing my body pretty well I knew something wasn't quite right. Certainly, I had planned to enjoy that last week before training camp. I was going to kind of just do what I normally do and work out, relax and p
