Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who is on his way to a record fifth NFL Most Valuable Player award, can now put another prestigious award on his mantel: Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
As announced during NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast, Manning has been named the 2013 Sportsman of the Year as he wraps up a season in which he’s on pace to break the NFL records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season.
In announcing Manning’s selection, Sports Illustrated noted both his outstanding 2013 season and the way he connects with football fans -- and has connected with fans for two decades, since he was a college star at Tennessee.
Manning joins Pete Rozelle (1963), Terry Bradshaw (1979), Reggie Williams (1987), Joe Montana (1990), Don Shula (1993), Tom Brady (2005), Brett Favre (2007) and Drew Brees (2010) as Sportsman of the Year winners from the NFL.