Peyton Manning writes letter appreciating David Letterman
Manning has never gone on another late night talk show because he's "a Letterman guy."
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, in addition to appearing on the final episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, recently penned a letter in The MMQB in which he expressed his appreciation for the outgoing host.
Manning wrote about how he never went on any other late night talk show programs, preferring instead to go on Letterman. "I love David Letterman. Always have. I consider myself a Letterman guy, because I’ve never done any other late-night show but his," Manning wrote. "I’ve been a big fan of comedy my whole life, and when I watch him, I’ve just always felt that he hits the right note -- all the time. He sure has been a big part of my life."
Manning appeared on Letterman's show as early as 1997.
In the final episode, Manning helped out with one last Top 10 List, appearing along with Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tina Fey and Bill Murray. The topic was "Things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave," and Manning came out for No. 3. His line was “Dave, you are to comedy what I am … to comedy.”
In his letter on The MMQB, Manning also relayed a story about the time Letterman called him the day before the 2012 draft, when the Colts drafted Manning's replacement, Andrew Luck.
That day, I was working out at the Broncos’ facility, trying to get used to my new world and learn Denver’s offense. I got word that Dave was trying to reach me, and so I get on the phone with him. He explains that they’re going to have Andrew Luck on the show, and what they want to do is present him with his new Colts jersey, like they’d be the ones telling him he was a Colt.
He said to me, “I don’t want to do it if it makes you uncomfortable at all.”
I said, “Dave, it doesn’t matter what I think. You do what you feel is best for the show.”
Really, I didn’t care. Whatever Dave wanted to do was fine, but he said, “That’s it! We’re not doing it. Forget it. It’s done.”
That meant so much to me. I didn’t give him an answer. It wasn’t my place to say anything. But the fact that he made that call, I can tell you this: If that were any other show, they sure wouldn’t have called to ask what I thought.
It was definitely pretty cool of Dave to do that, and it obviously meant a lot to Manning as well. Toward the end of the letter, Manning waxed poetic about his final appearance on the show, and his appreciation for Letterman's comedy chops.
"When we finished the Top 10 list on Wednesday, Dave thanked the 10 of us for coming. I just thought, I’m the one who should be thanking him, for all the years of great TV and great comedy. We just shouldn’t let this moment pass without being thankful for everything we’ve seen from him over the years. I’m really going to miss him -- and the show," Manning wrote.
"Even though he won’t be doing the Late Show anymore, I’ll always be a Letterman guy."
