TaborJet Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Would've been a Jet 10 years ago, Peyton Manning changed the course of history by staying in school instead of jumping to the NFL If Peyton Manning (in photo illustration) chose to wear a Jets uniform, it might have been the Jets playing in the Super Bowl. MIAMI - Peyton Manning might have become the greatest Jets quarterback of all time, better than Joe Willie Namath, if he didn't make the decision 10 years ago that stunned Bill Parcells. He returned to Tennessee for his senior year. "I thought it was pretty unusual that a guy like him, who was pretty much the consensus first pick, would stay," Parcells told the Daily News from Dallas the other day before heading to his home in Saratoga. "I think he had his reasons. He enjoyed Tennessee, he enjoyed college football. I think his parents were encouraging him to stay." Manning is finally playing in his first Super Bowl tonight, but who knows how many he would have made by now if Parcells, a future Hall of Famer, was his coach with the Jets instead of Jim Mora and Tony Dungy with the Colts? Manning's decision changed the course of Jets history. It was another indication of terrible luck. The Same Old Jets. Imagine if the Jets added Parcells and Manning in a two-month period. Parcells would have loved to coach him. "Anybody would have," he said. "There's very few Peyton Mannings." Parcells inherited a 1-15 team and the first pick in the 1997 draft when he jumped from the Patriots to the Jets. Manning had just completed his junior year at Tennessee and although it was admirable how much he loved college, the Jets were counting on him coming out. Parcells clearly was not a fan of Neil O'Donnell. Manning, who has the work ethic of Phil Simms but is certainly more talented, would have thrived playing for Parcells. But on March 5, 1997, six weeks before the draft, Manning made a stand for being true to your school and announced he was returning for his senior year. Parcells elected not to take offensive tackle Orlando Pace at No. 1, traded down twice in the first round and selected linebacker James Farrior at No. 8. "Parcells shook things up for me a little bit when he was hired there," Manning said at the time. "It made this decision a lot tougher, knowing he was there. I had no negative thoughts about the Jets whatsoever. I have no doubt in my mind that Parcells will get them going again." The NFL is strict against teams encouraging players to leave school early, and even 10 years later, Parcells says he was telling Manning, through intermediaries, to stay at Tennessee. But in his conversations with Archie Manning he gave him an indication about the Jets' intentions if Peyton declared for the draft. "I was trying to stick with the rules," Parcells said. "But everybody knew if he did come out he'd be picked and we had the first pick. We were interested in a quarterback. I tried to be real generic with Archie. I told him I thought Peyton was an excellent player and we were interested in that position. I don't think I talked to Peyton." The only way Parcells would have considered trading away the chance to take Manning was if he was offered "two or three drafts." Not two or three draft picks; two or three complete drafts. The Saints, picking second, and the Falcons, picking third, were prepared to make mega-offers for Manning, but the overwhelming feeling was Parcells was not going to trade the pick. Instead, Parcells cut O'Donnell after just one season with him. He started the 1998 season with Glenn Foley, switched to Vinny Testaverde and made it to the AFC title game. Testaverde was injured in the first game of the '99 season and Parcells quit as Jets coach after the year. If the Jets had Manning, there's no way Parcells would have walked away after only three years coaching him. "Who knows? Anything can happen," Parcells said. "You can't assume just because he came to New York that things would be the same as they were in Indianapolis. He was 3-13 in his first year with the Colts. If that happened in New York, you guys would call him a bust." Manning was the first overall pick by the Colts in 1998, and now, after all these years of putting up great numbers, he is in the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Gary Myers never shuts the fack up with his anti-jet crap. Go cover the giants ya di3kwad. btw Who gives a sh#t anymore? Stop living in the past, whats done is done. Move on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Bit Special Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I've never forgiven Manning for staying in college, I hate him to this day his first superbowl which he will lose. But, if he did come out and was drafted by the Jets it doesnt mean we would have made any superbowls, or that our history would have been any better (except we probably wouldnt have had to hire Herm Edwards). Heck the most likely scenario is Manning would have been a bust because thats the Jets luck. And I agree, its in the past, let it stay there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drago Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I've never forgiven Manning for staying in college, I hate him to this day his first superbowl which he will lose. But, if he did come out and was drafted by the Jets it doesnt mean we would have made any superbowls, or that our history would have been any better (except we probably wouldnt have had to hire Herm Edwards). Heck the most likely scenario is Manning would have been a bust because thats the Jets luck. And I agree, its in the past, let it stay there. Okay, you brought up Herm, i have a question about this chode lick. He was never a coordinator, never coached college, I know he was a CB for the Eagles. Question is, where the crap did he come from and who's D*** did he lick to get HC of the Jets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 What is the only thing worse than not spending a 1st round pick on Peyton? Spending a 1st round pick on Eli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 just what we need a guy who is 2 of 11 versus belly let's wait until Payton doesn't choke and makes his payton face today before a thread like this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad2colesin06=--- Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 thats a stretch, and anyways namath isnt the best jets qb ever he was really bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomBoomMancini Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 He could have easily just become another Drew Bledsoe here.. Personaly, I don't think we would have been in a superbowl with him.. 1997- Rookie season, probably wouldn't have been in the playoff hunt 1998-Probably wouldn't have made it to the AFC-Championship game had Peyton started(remember Keyshawn wouldn't have been here, nor Vinny) 1999-Who knows? Had Vinny stayed healthy we probably would have gone far. Lost season overall 2000- Probably would have gotten to the playoffs, but no way they would be playing in the superbowl.. That team was getting old, and started to break down. 2001-Peyton couldn't beat New England yet, and that Oakland team would have been better as well. 2002-Chad beat Peyton 2003-Chad got hurt, but our defense was so putrid that we would go nowhere anyway. 2004-Probably our best shot, however Peyton lost to Belichick with a better Colts team, so no. 2005-With that offensive line?? 2006-Peyton was too erratic this postseason to bring the Jets to the superbowl. Our best shot would have been in 1999, but we were supposed to be going with Vinny that year anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetophile Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't help us today. It's meaningless to keep rehashing it except to say who the hell cares. And let's not forget that it matters what you do in the PO's when you get there, and Manning has been the unmitigated WORST in that category. He's lucky - thanks to Vinatieri - to be here today. I hope he gags and chits himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 If the Jets had been able to draft Manning, our O-line would have gotten him killed. And, to the guy who called Namath "really bad," you must be the stupidest mother****er who ever touched a keyboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetophile Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 If the Jets had been able to draft Manning, our O-line would have gotten him killed. No question. Difference is, he could have LEGITIMATELY blamed his teammates. :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxscott Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 thats a stretch, and anyways namath isnt the best jets qb ever he was really bad BANNED!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 thats a stretch, and anyways namath isnt the best jets qb ever he was really bad So Mr. analytical genius, you would pick whom exactly as a better Jets QB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxscott Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 he must have been talking about Ray Lucas . . . the only thing i could think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 So Mr. analytical genius, you would pick whom exactly as a better Jets QB? He's probably some kid no older than me who looked at joe's career stats and thinks he sucked. Probably a dumba$$, but I could be wrong. He might be a cokehead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miamipuck Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I did not care then and especially do not care now. So he stayed in school awesome for him. Funny thing is it took him to graduate for Tennessee to win the National title. If Indianapolis loses this game the year PM retires is the year they win the Sb. I am actually more upset over the 1983 draft then this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 And, to the guy who called Namath "really bad," you must be the stupidest mother****er who ever touched a keyboard. The first part of his screen name tells me all I need to know about his ability to evalute QB talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AG Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Did you have to bring this up? Im sad now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrady Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 thats a stretch, and anyways namath isnt the best jets qb ever he was really bad Then who is the Jets best QB ever? O.Brien? Todd? Boomer? Vinny? Chad? None did what Broadway Joe did, win us a Super Bowl bringing the AFL and NFL together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Then who is the Jets best QB ever? O.Brien? Todd? Boomer? Vinny? Chad? None did what Broadway Joe did, win us a Super Bowl bringing the AFL and NFL together. Booby! Don't forget Booby! Bringing the AFL and NFL together wasn't good. The good thing was showing the AFL was better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrady Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Booby! Don't forget Booby! Bringing the AFL and NFL together wasn't good. The good thing was showing the AFL was better. Yeah, I could've mentioned Bubby, O'Donnell, Nagle, Foley, Mirer, Lucas, and I still don't see who would have been a better QB than Namath for the Jets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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