SNEAK NFL Welcome to Playbook, a new BEFORE DENVER, THERE WAS DURHAM. WITH THE SECRET + section brought to you by The Mag HELP OF A TRUSTED FORMER COACH AND AN MLB ALL-STAR, and ESPN.com that covers the latest in sports news, trends, the life of the fan REDISCOVERED NOT ONLY HIS THROWING and more. For expanded stories, pictures, videos and daily updates, check out MOTION BUT HIS CONFIDENCE. By Ryan McGee Playbook online at .com/playbook.

illustration by JONATHAN BARTLETT 04/30/2012 ESPN The Magazine 23 “In free agency, ultimately the player makes the decision. But there’s a lot you PLAYBOOK NFL can’t control. At times it felt chaotic. In the middle of all that, you need a home base, a center.” —PEYTON MANNING

ate on March 11, Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe and his most famous pupil eased through the night in a black Cadillac Escalade. Peyton L Manning’s eyes were weary. Four days earlier he had been cut by the Colts, the only NFL team for which he’d ever played. Immediately afterward, he faced the national media with characteristic grace. ¶ Between that hard day and this has been willing to trust, revamped since taking over then and now. in December 2007. The quiet night, he’d flown to Denver to visit the Broncos and to Phoenix to visit the “It never felt like just a Broncos’ visit was merely the Cardinals. He’d met with Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, the former Broncos recruiting pitch,” says Archie grand finale of a six-month boss, who still has a home in Denver. He’d even squeezed in a trip to South Florida Manning, who sent two of stretch in which Manning his sons to play for Cutcliffe: was in Durham as much as to see his wife and two kids. ¶ Now, slumped in the passenger seat of Cutcliffe’s Peyton at Tennessee and Eli he was anywhere else, SUV, the quarterback exhaled as the pine trees and strip malls of Durham, N.C., at Ole Miss, Archie’s alma Indianapolis included. flashed by his window. For the first time in 96 hours he was in a safe place, where mater. “My boys never go During his lost season, no one would ask about his next team or how his surgically repaired neck felt or more than a few days Manning felt adrift for the without calling Coach to talk first time in his life. His body whether he was concerned with ’s emotional state. No helicopters or about football or their lives.” was betraying him. At times, news vans were in hot pursuit. The people in the surrounding cars had no idea who On March 2, a YouTube it felt as if the Colts were was driving next to them. The coach and the QB just rode in silence. ¶ “You going video had outed the tall guy too. As a result, he floated in the hoodie who had been into unfamiliar territory: to feel like working out in the morning?” Cutcliffe finally asked. ¶ “Absolutely.” throwing on the Blue Devils’ damaged self-confidence. In semiprivate practice fields. the seclusion of Duke’s Yoh For 13 frenetic days— to Peyton to his brother Eli. Two weeks later, that same Football Center, Manning from his March 7 release And Peyton’s comfort level field was the site of a underwent a mental and from the Colts to his with him is very obvious. Manning evaluation session physical deconstruction, a March 20 signing with the That’s where he really did for Fox and Broncos front relearning of his throwing Broncos—the NFL world the work to come back, long office boss John Elway. motion and his first-ever revolved around one before the Broncos or But the real work had bout with football mortality. Peyton and Eli joined Cutcliffe, question: Where will Peyton anyone else ever called.” been in progress since “I don’t know if you’ve who coached them both in Manning play in 2012? The Cutcliffe has had college, for a - September throughout noticed this about me, but I axis on which that world Manning’s complete trust Duke hoops game at Cameron Duke’s football facilities, kind of like to be in control spun seemed to shift on an since even before he was Indoor Stadium in March 2008. which Cutcliffe has totally of things,” Manning says almost hourly basis, from Peyton Manning. When he the Rocky Mountains to was the coach Nashville to wherever the and offensive coordinator next blogger or on-air specu- for Tennessee, Cutcliffe lator managed to push it. sat in the Manning living The truth, however, is that room in and the axis never moved; it just persuaded the gangly so happens that it was in the teenager to stiff-arm his two last place most people home states—Louisiana thought to look. and Mississippi—and play “I don’t think Duke is on for the Volunteers. He the tip of anyone’s tongue if promised the kid a lifelong you’re talking about football mentorship—and so had factories,” says Broncos the dozens of other coaches coach John Fox, who visited who stopped by. But Durham on March 16 to see something about Cutcliffe’s Manning throw in person. pledge felt genuine, sincere. “But Coach Cutcliffe is a In the nearly two decades coach’s coach. His success since, their bond has grown with quarterbacks is well only stronger. It’s the kind known, from Heath Shuler of alliance that Manning

24 ESPN The Magazine 04/30/2012 ELLEN OZIER/REUTERS/LANDOV PLAYBOOK NFL

Todd Helton and Manning, Duke’s disappointing pictured at Coors Field in 2001, 3–9 season ended Nov. 26, have been close since their and almost immediately, days as Volunteers QBs. When Manning’s trips south Manning needed someone to help him out of his injury funk, increased. He hadn’t wanted Cutcliffe knew whom to call. to be a distraction for Cutcliffe and his staff during the season, but now they were all his. He also knew he’d have more targets at his disposal for his workouts. Because of NCAA rules, facetiously. “I get to call Manning made the first of thought he could will his had emailed to him each Duke players weren’t plays. I get to set my more than half a dozen visits way back into the lineup offseason with a note: “Hey, allowed to run routes for schedule. I chose what to Durham just days after within a couple of weeks. Coach, what do you think?” Manning, no matter how college I went to. I chose having neck surgery on The result was a spaghetti “I’ve compiled hours and much they begged. Once whether or not to stay for Sept. 9, 2011, his fourth and pile of a throwing motion, hours of it, so we started their senior seasons were my senior year. I didn’t final operation. He came to the mechanics of a man in a there,” Cutcliffe explains. done, however, his roster choose the Colts; they chose see Cutcliffe with rehab hurry. “Almost immediately “We clocked his release time, suddenly runneth over. me. But after that, it was orders from his Indianapolis I started at zero,” says which is so critical for any “After the first of the year, 14 years in a controlled doctors in one hand and a Cutcliffe. “I said, ‘Let’s stop quarterback. And his has you’d come out here and it environment.” football in the other. His old working on getting back and always been like a machine. was like watching the Pro Then, with a sigh, he coach started building a plan start working on getting We said: Okay, this is how Bowl,” says tight end Cooper adds: “In free agency, to get him back on track. healthy.’ And the first step of far behind you are now. Let’s Helfet, a graduating Duke ultimately the player makes Cutcliffe had assumed that process was to get back work toward this goal of senior and NFL the decision. But there’s a that, like most athletes in touch with his natural getting back to this.” hopeful who quickly became lot you can’t control. The facing their first serious throwing motion.” During visits to Durham one of the guest star’s process is hard. It becomes injury, Manning would be Manning’s body was way and back in Indianapolis, favorite practice targets. By so public. At times it felt tentative, throwing timidly out in front of his arm, Manning started an mid-February, when it was chaotic. When you’re out of fear of reinjury. But forcing his throws to catch autumn-long ramping-up becoming apparent to injured, which I’ve never reality turned out to be the up to his chest and legs process. First were tosses to Manning that his release been before, you have even total opposite—which was instead of pushing through no one. When his arm from Indianapolis was less control. In the middle of just as bad. The NFL season with them. For reference, began catching up to his imminent, he was sneaking all that, you need a home was starting without him Cutcliffe dug through the chest, he began throwing in scores of his old pals. The base, a center.” for the first time in 14 years, mountain of film he’s kept routes to receivers, starting entire Duke athletic As always, he found that and Manning came out on Manning over the years, with one, then expanding department was in on it. center with Cutcliffe. gunning like a man who much of which Manning into multiples. One February weekend,

WINNING PERCENTAGE, 1998-2010 NUMBER OF *ENTERED THE .700 • QB OR NOT QB STARTING QBS, LEAGUE IN 2002 From 1998 to 2010, Peyton 1998-2010 **RE-ENTERED THE .600 PEYTON MANNING LEAGUE IN 1999 Manning was the starting • quarterback for the Colts. .500 Meanwhile, the 31 other NFL teams trotted out 336 starting .400 QBs, led by the Bears with 17. .300 You’d think that more stability would mean a higher winning .200 percentage, but this chart shows .100 that’s not always the case—unless • ••••••• ••• •••••••••• ••••••••••••••• ••••••• ••••••••••••• ••••••••••• ••••••••• •••••••••••••• •••••••••••• •••••••• •••••••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••••••••• •••••••••• ••••••••••••••••• •••••••• •••••••••••••• •••••••••••• •••••••••••••• ••••••••• ••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••• ••••••••••• ••••• ••••••••• •••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••

your QB was Peyton Manning. ••••••••••• ••••••••• Bills Jets Colts Colts Lions 49ers Rams Bears Titans Chiefs Saints Giants Eagles Vikings Ravens Raiders Falcons Packers Patriots Patriots Bengals Jaguars Steelers * Texans * Broncos Dolphins Cowboys Redskins Chargers Panthers Cardinals **Browns Seahawks Buccaneers •••••••••••••••••

26 ESPN The Magazine 04/30/2012 RYAN MCKEE/RICH CLARKSON AND ASSOCIATES PLAYBOOK NFL

while most people on crushing. Manning was Elway stealthily visited Durham campus were watching the already worried about the on March 16 to watch Manning’s men’s basketball team beat inevitable media zoo. He throwing session. Four days Maryland at Cameron was showing signs of later, Manning was introduced as the Broncos’ new quarterback. Indoor Stadium, a fully withdrawing, even from simulated football game longtime agent Tom was going on inside the Condon. “A lot of people he did enjoy breaking fenced-in practice field at offered advice,” says moments of postdinner the bottom of . The Manning. “At times toward silence by slapping his lineup featured Brandon the end, I got so tired I just hands onto the table and Stokley, Austin Collie and wanted someone to tell declaring, “Let’s go turn on Jeff Saturday. Cutcliffe dug me what I should do.” At the TV and see where out tapes of old Colts that point he needed more Peyton’s going next year!” games—including the 2009 than a coach; he needed a Two weeks later, TV AFC championship vs. the friend. So Cutcliffe found and at just the right time. cameras invaded the Duke Jets—and had Manning Manning a roomie. He declared he could keep campus. Overnight, the replicate every play, every and up with Cutcliffe’s football YouTube clip had undone route, even every timeout Manning were football workouts, then quickly six months of masterful and walk to the sideline. teammates for only one demanded a TV timeout cloak-and-dagger work by “It was competitive. It season at Tennessee, but the when it got too intense— the Blue Devils football was fun,” says Cutcliffe. “It quarterbacks hit it off much “because that’s what you office. “You knew it was got him back onto the field deeper than few outside BIG NUMBER football guys do.” He played coming,” Manning admits. with his friends. It gave him Knoxville ever realized. In every position on the field “It’s amazing it took as a fix. He was getting there 1994, Manning was a during Manning’s simula- long as it did.” physically, so it was time to freshman, Helton a junior. tions. And he always knew On March 7, Helton sat in get him there mentally.” Helton inherited the exactly when to change the the Rockies’ spring training By mid-February, starting job when Jerry subject when the topics clubhouse in Scottsdale, Ariz., Manning was essentially a Colquitt went down with a turned heavy. “He’s a and watched on TV as his full-time Durham resident. knee injury in the season’s baseball player,” says the friend was pushed out the Free agency loomed, and the first quarter. Three games football player with a smirk. door by the Colts. More than downstairs guest bedroom later Helton got hurt, Manning and Helton 2,000 miles away in Durham, at Cutcliffe’s house became opening the door for Only seven teams would work out in the Cutcliffe was doing the his de facto office. But as his Manning to take the job. 20 morning while Cutcliffe ran same. Both were struck by in the NFL called game on the field returned, Now a 16-year MLB Duke’s spring practice and Manning’s sincere emotion. more than 20 total his professional life became veteran, Helton has watched film at lunch with They wondered whether more uncertain. The coach survived career-threatening Wildcat plays from his coaching staff. Come late those who didn’t know him took steps to keep him injuries and multiple trade 2009 to 2011, afternoon, the three would so well realized how genuine comfortable. Archie made a rumors. So a week before he which makes the meet on the field to run his heartbreak really was. visit. So did Tom Moore, was to report to spring Jets’ stated wish their own drills. Then they In Denver, John Fox was Manning’s longtime training with the Colorado of running up to would hop in the Escalade also watching. And as offensive coordinator in Rockies, he went to Durham 20 such plays and head to the Cutcliffe Manning’s voice cracked, Indianapolis, now semi- to lend some perspective to every game with house for dinner. the coach’s did not. He stood retired and living in Hilton his friend. “We’ve always backup QB Tim There, around the table, up and told those in the Head, S.C. They reiterated stayed in touch,” says Tebow seem wildly the coach, his wife, his room that this could be the Cutcliffe’s messages of how Helton. “During the NFL optimistic. Even daughter and his two former defining moment of their good his arm looked and lockout he worked out with in New York’s players would eat, laugh and careers. Fox said—and John that even though he wasn’t us in Denver. When I first talk about anything other Elway agreed—that they Wildcat heyday 100% yet, he would be ready had some injury problems, than football, neck fusions or needed to be the first to come the fall. he was quick to call and of 2010 with Brad free agency. Helton never reach out to the quarterback. But as the pressure of his check on me. So I went Smith, the Jets openly campaigned for “Get his phone number,” impending decision down there. I thought it ran only 43 plays Denver, because at that point Fox recalls saying. “And mounted, the weight was would be fun.” out of the Wildcat. no one believed the Broncos find out where he’s been threatening to become Helton made sure it was, Don’t tell Tebow. would even be suitors. But working out.”

28 ESPN The Magazine 04/30/2012 TRAVIS LONG/RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER/MCT/LANDOV