While 30 years have passed, Mannings’ summer tradition has only blossomed
JOURNAL SPORTS
Remember when Archie was the best-known Manning?
It was 1996, when the former New Orleans Saints quarterback’s oldest son (Cooper) had just graduated from Ole Miss, his middle son (Peyton) was emerging as one of college football’s top quarterbacks at Tennessee, and his youngest boy, Eli, was a sophomore at Isadore Newman School in New Orleans.
Dad thought holding a camp to develop high school quarterbacks would be a good idea, and got together with some friends. The Manning Passing Academy was launched, and 185 boys showed up on the Tulane campus to hone their skills.
This weekend, 1,400 high school passers, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers will converge on Thibodaux and the campus at Nicholls State for the 30th MPA. Archie’s idea has grown into one of the nation’s premier instructional football camps while remaining true to its original mission: making the game more enjoyable for young athletes.
“Archie Manning and his family have created far more than a football camp; they’ve built one of the most impactful developmental experiences in the game,” said National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Manning Passing Academy combines elite instruction from many of the nation’s top college players with leadership development and life lessons, helping young athletes grow both on and off the field. It’s a truly special experience and a powerful example of football at its very best.”
Each summer, many of college football’s top players arrive to serve as camp counselors, mentoring the next generation while sharpening their own leadership skills. The academy has become an annual gathering place for many of the game’s brightest stars, creating a unique environment where high school athletes can learn directly from some of college football’s elite performers.
That group includes Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow, Lamar Jackson, Bryce Young and two from LSU – Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. It was at the 2019 MPA that Burrow infamously told media he believed the Tigers had what it took to win the national championship, and they did half-a-year later, undefeated.
Among other top college players who became NFL stars after they served as counselors: Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes.
This year’s counselor roster will once again feature an impressive collection of standout signal-callers from across the country, including CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Noah Fifita (Arizona), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Conner Weigman (Houston), and naturally, Arch Manning of Texas.
Archie, his sons, and former Tulane recruiting coordinator and current Oregon administrator Jeff Hawkins have continued to be the driving force behind the camp’s success since its inception, along with the late Buddy Teevins, head coach at Tulane in the 1990s. The camp moved to Hammond and Southeastern Louisiana briefly, then settled in 2005 at Nicholls State.
The Mannings are famously the first to arrive and the last to leave, underscoring their unwavering commitment to every camper. The idea for the academy grew from a concern that many young athletes were not developing the fundamental skills of throwing and catching during their formative high school years. Thirty years later, that mission remains at the heart of the camp with more than 30,000 all-time attendees and counting.
“What keeps us going after all these years is the chance to give back to the game that’s given so much to our family,” said the elder Manning, who serves as the camp’s executive director and as chairman of the National Football Foundation. “We’re not trying to create superstars; we’re trying to help young players love the game more, lead better, and grow as teammates. That’s the heart of the Manning Passing Academy.”