FOXBOROUGH - On Sept. 30, 2001, Peyton Manning took the Foxboro Stadium field hours before the Colts played the Patriots. He wanted to get a feel for his throws and for the turf, as he does before every game. He glanced across the field and noticed a callow quarterback whom he had never met. Manning ambled across the 50-yard line and approached Tom Brady.
Manning was in his fourth season, Brady his second. Manning was already a star. Brady was about to make his first NFL start.
Manning extended his palm and said, “Hey. Peyton Manning.’’
Brady shook Manning’s hand and thought to himself, “No kidding.’’
In the years since their first meeting - the Patriots won that game, 44-13 - Manning and Brady have ascended to the apex of the NFL while cultivating a unique relationship. They are the leaders of the winningest teams of the decade, the two best football players on Earth, in constant competition for Super Bowl titles, MVP awards, who’s the best “Saturday Night Live’’ host, and most anything else you want to name. They’re both good enough to set records during games, and they’re both smooth enough to sell you expensive watches or Oreos during the commercials. They’re also friends.
On Sunday night, Brady and Manning will face each other for the 10th time, including playoffs, since Brady began his tenure as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. They will not once occupy the field at the same time, but the story line no doubt will focus on the two quarterbacks who not only are the best players of their era, but who help define it.
“I’m always keeping up on Peyton,’’ Brady said. “We talk from time to time. I have a lot of respect for him as a player and the kind of role model that he is, and for the way he carries himself, and for the way he leads his team, and for the way he’s a representative for the league. All those things.’’
Brady and Manning, to different degrees, also share the experience of returning after a knee injury. When Brady developed a staph infection during the rehab from his major knee surgery, he called Manning, who had endured the same affliction after his own, less-extensive knee injury.
“That is a true story,’’ Brady said. “I called him and I said, ‘Tell me about your knee and what you went through.’ He provided a little bit of insight. He was very encouraging. Always has been. He’s just that kind of a guy. He’s a very classy guy.’’
