People might wonder what Shawn Mendes was talking about when he sang, “It is in my blood.” Well, it turns out he was talking about Arch Manning’s football prowess. Arch Manning’s football IQ didn’t develop on the field; it started in the living room. Long before he put on pads, young Arch was swinging the ball across the living room and dangerously close to a “lamp”. Failing to catch up? Don’t worry, you’ll get the lamp reference soon enough.
While most kids his age were glued to video games or cartoons, Arch was locked in on the screen for entirely different reasons. “He’d just watch football like he was in a trance,” said his dad, Cooper Manning. Arch sat motionless, eyes glued to the field, soaking up every snap like it was gospel. No running around. No distracting detours. Just serious film study in reality.
And his obsession was intact when at home. Or if one were to ask his mother, it increased tenfold. Forget Madden, Arch went for the real thing. “We threw more footballs in the den over his mother’s head while a football game was going on,” Cooper recalled while talking to the Athletic. “And she’d be like, ‘Please don’t do this—oh, here comes a lamp!’ And she was right,” Cooper continued. “There was always something getting broken.” Arch’s childhood was one long pregame warmup, with collateral damage. These were some early signs that would make him one of the most sought-after recruits in college football. The Manning name was there, yes. But the Manning talent was developed in the living room, amid a pleading mother and an amused dad.
And while Arch’s talent was impossible to miss, Cooper wasn’t about to let it go to his head or anyone else’s. When college coaches started buzzing in sixth grade, trying to offer scholarships, Cooper shut it down. “This is ridiculous,” he said at the time. “He doesn’t even have braces yet.”
If football greatness is made at home, then Arch’s highlight reel started well before Texas. He earned every bit of the anticipation by taking reps in the living room while dodging furniture (and Mom’s fury). So next time you see him command the Longhorn offense like he was born to do it, just remember, this isn’t the result of a few good spring practices. His offseason started years ago, back in his childhood.
The Quiet Coach Behind the Quarterback
If we were to ask you who you think coached Arch Manning, it’d take you at least three tries. Or maybe more. While you may assume Arch was coached by his legendary uncles, Eli and Peyton, the reality is different. Long before Arch Manning became Texas’ most talked-about quarterback, it was his dad, Cooper Manning, who led the early practices. Ellen, Arch’s mom, said, “But really, Coop taught Arch how to play football.”
In fact, the two NFL icons weren’t frequent presences in Arch’s rise. “As much as they are great influences, they weren’t around a ton,” Cooper said. “I don’t think Eli ever saw Arch play a high school or college football game. He is coming in this year. Peyton would come in for a game or two occasionally. Arch would see them at the Manning Passing Academy and may see ’em at Mardi Gras, but that’s like five nights in a year, so it’s hard to say whether he’s ‘like them or like someone else, ’ Ellen said.
So, when you catch glimpses of Eli and Peyton in Arch’s game this season, remember he wasn’t taught those firsthand. It was his dad who carved the diamond. Ellen added, “I do think you can pick up little pieces of people that you like. Arch is probably just as likely to pick up a habit of Patrick Mahomes as he is of Eli, with things that you just like about people and the way they handle themselves. It also gave Arch the freedom to find his unique style of playmaking instead of picking what the Mannings had in store already. And this season, when he takes on that gridiron as a full-time starter for the first time, we’ll witness what could very well be a regular and generational name on Saturdays.
The post “Please don’t do this”: Arch Manning’s Mother’s Reaction to Family Ritual After Eli & Peyton Admission appeared first on EssentiallySports.
