Place Peyton Manning’s name among presidents who have been honored in Akron for championing the game of golf.
It’s fitting because Manning has long been viewed as presidential by Northeast Ohio sports fans.
Before the Browns gained stability with their regime led by General Manager Andrew Berry, coach Kevin Stefanski and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, Cleveland loyalists often wondered aloud whether owner Jimmy Haslam could convince his longtime University of Tennessee buddy Manning to lead the franchise under the title of president or something similar.
The scenario has never materialized, yet Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Manning now belongs in the same conversation as presidents.
And we’re not just talking about presidents of companies or professional sports organizations.
On Thursday, Manning visited Akron and received the 2024 Ambassador of Golf Award. The Kaulig Companies Championship, PGA Tour Champions and Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation recognized Manning for the accomplishment during a dinner at House Three Thirty.
The following former U.S. presidents highlight the list of previous Ambassador of Golf Award winners: Gerald Ford (1985), George H. W. Bush (1994) and George W. Bush (2021).
This is the second consecutive year the Ambassador of Golf Award has gone to a superstar athlete. Akron-born Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry spent a day at Firestone Country Club last summer and basked in the prestigious distinction.
“The Bush family, especially with their connection to golf with their grandfather and great-grandfather, the Walker family, the Walker Cup, yeah, I’m not sure I’m worthy of that,” Manning told the Beacon Journal. “But I know Steph Curry won last year. I played golf with Steph before.
“[Golf] was my getaway sport from football. Played with my dad and brothers a lot, played with a lot of teammates, played with other athletes. Tom Brady and I played golf together just a month ago. I played in the pro-am here in Columbus with [Rory] McIlroy and Jason Day just a few weeks ago. So it’s a great way to meet people. But, for me, in my journey in football, I played with a ton of teammates.
“I felt like there was some real bonding out there on the golf course, right? You kind of put your phones down, let’s talk and I felt like maybe we won a close game in the fourth quarter in December because of a golf match in May. People kind of laugh at that, but I believe it to be true.”
A Super Bowl champion with the 2006 Indianapolis Colts and 2015 Denver Broncos, Manning retired from the NFL in 2016. However, football remains a huge part of his life.
And, for the record, Manning said he is aware of Browns fans pining for him in recent years to head the team’s front office. Haslam is a prominent Tennessee Volunteers booster, so he has been close to Manning for decades.
“Jimmy and I, their family’s been such great friends to me and my family during my time there at Tennessee, and Jimmy and I still talk,” Manning, 48, said. “Actually, I texted with Jimmy on the way down here [to Akron].
“But to me, in this second chapter [of my career], I think the first thing you try to figure out is some of the things maybe you don’t want to do before you know what you want to do. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to get involved in [after I retired from playing]. I think being affiliated with football was important to me, but not necessarily in a general manager role or whatnot.
“Ambassador, kind of like this award, is a little more general in the description, but it keeps you close to it, right? Golf’s important to me and football’s important to me. So being kind of an ambassador for football is something I take pride in, especially the teams that I was a part of.”
The ManningCast in which Manning and his brother Eli, a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the New York Giants, analyze “Monday Night Football” games for ESPN has allowed the siblings to remain among the sport’s most recognizable figures.
“Obviously, you had no idea that when you were playing that one day they were going to pay you to watch football from your neighbor’s garage and Eli could do it from his basement in New Jersey,” Manning said. “But, yeah, I’m a defender of the game, growing the game. I think what the NFL, at least ESPN has told us what they like about our show is that it brings different eyeballs to the game that wouldn’t normally be watching. And that’s a good thing. We want young people watching it, want females watching it. Whoever’s watching it, that’s good. If that brings more viewers, even better.
“I go to all the Broncos games and stay in touch with [people in the league]. I texted with [coach] Shane Steichen of the Colts the other day and go out to Broncos practices a good bit and talk to [coach] Josh Heupel at the University of Tennessee. So you try to [be] a resource to those teams. We have our football camp in Louisiana for high school quarterbacks and receivers, and then college quarterbacks come and serve as counselors. Eli and I will help them with their NFL dreams. So I give them my phone number, and the quarterback at Georgia, Carson Beck, I’m like, ‘I hope you don’t play great against Tennessee this year, but if I can ever help you along the way, I’m available.’ So, yeah, that kind of role, I enjoy that role.”
More on the Ambassador of Golf Award: NBA’s Stephen Curry returns to birthplace of Akron on mission to foster diversity
A commitment to charitable initiatives is a key criterion for the Ambassador of Golf Award. Manning has been involved with many philanthropic efforts, including some with golf ties.
Manning participated in “The Match: Champions for Charity” in May 2020, partnering with Tiger Woods to vie against Brady and Phil Mickelson and raise more then $20 million toward COVID-19 relief. In November 2020, Manning and Curry joined forces in “The Match: Champions for Change” against NBA icon Charles Barkley and Mickelson, raising money for historically Black colleges and universities.
Manning also served as the honorary chairman of the 2023 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, and he plays in the Memorial Pro-Am each year.
“My wife plays a little bit. Our kids, we go out there and play, so it’s a good family activity as well,” Manning said. “I’m honored to receive this award. I’m not sure I’m totally worthy, but it’s still important to me.”
More golf coverage in Akron: Steve Stricker returning to old putter to defend Kaulig Companies Championship title
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.