There are few families that have had the same impact on a sport that the Manning Family has had on football.
The patriarch (e.g. pater familia) was Archie Manning, a 3-year starter for the Ole Miss Rebels in the rugged Southeastern Conference. While there, Manning finished fourth and third in the Heisman Trophy voting his junior and senior seasons’ respectively (Oklahoma’s Steve Owens in 1969 and Stanford’s Jim Plunkett in 1970).
After an 8-3 finish and Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas in 1969, Manning – entering his senior season – was the Sports Illustrated coverboy for its annual college football edition. The cover photo (taken by Art Shay) was from the previous November when the Rebels waxed rival Tennessee, 38-0, in a game played in Jackson, MS.
Now, in a full-circle moment of sorts, Archie’s namesake and grandson, Arch Manning, is Sports Illustrated‘s 2025 digital college football preview edition coverboy. (You’re able to read SI writer Michael Rosenberg’s feature on him here. ) And, like his granddad 55 years earlier, Arch is a pre-season Heisman favorite. Though, quite unlike Archie the elder, he’s only started two college games at this point.
For those wondering, the Manning family tree finds Archie at the top, his oldest son, Cooper, is followed by Peyton, and then Eli. Arch is the son of Cooper who was never able to play football as a wide receiver at his dad’s alma mater because of a spinal stenosis diagnosis.
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