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Man of letters

Manning’s affinity for mail remembered

Manning
Peyton Manning regularly wrote and mailed letters to players who retired from the league. Image: Peyback Foundation

Peyton Manning is a five-time NFL MVP — but those aren’t the only letters he’s known for.

The longtime quarterback is a prolific letter writer who regularly pens notes to congratulate fellow players on awards and other milestones.

“An email is not acceptable. A handwritten letter is what you must write,” Manning told The Los Angeles Times a few years ago.

Manning’s retirement this week has recipients reminiscing about his thoughtfulness.

“One of the classiest things that I’ve ever had displayed to me,” former linebacker London Fletcher, who received a Manning note in 2013, told The Washington Post.

Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos during his 18-year career, credits his mother with teaching him the value of letters.

According to the Post, he relied on his teams’ public relations staffs to track down other players’ mailing addresses. Sometimes the return address was from the Peyback Foundation, Manning’s charity, while other notes were sent with the Colts’ or Broncos’ outgoing mail.

This attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed.

When tight end Shannon Sharpe received a congratulatory note from Manning in 2011, he had one thought.

“I was like: How did he get my address?” Sharpe told the Post.

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