Peyton Manning reveals which NFL coach gave him sleepless nights (and it's not Bill Belichick)
In the latest episode of "Bussin' with the Boys," host and former linebacker Will Compton posed a question to former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. He asked him who was the toughest defensive mind he had to face during his 18 seasons in the league.
The first name popping up in everyone's mind must be Bill Belichick. He was the defensive coordinator of the New York Jets and then moved on to the head coach role in Foxborough. Recognized by fans as the greatest coach of all time and a defensive mastermind, it seemed like a no-brainer.
But Manning surprised them with another name.
"Rex Ryan was tough, you know," Manning said. "He just did things that didn't make sense to me. I'm like, 'There's no way he can bring that guy,' and he would bring him.
"I was always looking when I watched the defense, thinking, 'Okay, they're never going to bring the Will linebacker and the strong safety, so we can eliminate that.' Then you watch the Jets or the Ravens game against the Bills, and they bring that exact blitz, and I'm like, 'Dang!' You know? So, I had a lot of sleepless nights getting ready to play against his teams." (Timestamp —:1:36:00)
Rex Ryan had been a head coach for the Baltimore Ravens and a defensive coordinator for the New York Jets.
According to the five-time NFL MVP, it was Ryan's unpredictability that gave him sleepless nights.
In the podcast, he also revealed that there might have been a chance that he would have played under Ryan and Belichick if he had not made a pivotal decision.
Peyton Manning muses about playing under Belichick
Earlier in the podcast, Manning spoke about his decision to stay in college a year extra and delay his debut in the NFL. At the time, he was confused about whether he should stay on or just jump into the NFL.
His father, ace NFL player Archie Manning, made a list of people who had been there who his son could consult. And one of the people he spoke to was NBA legend Michael Jordan.
However, he didn't follow in his footsteps, as Jordan had left college after his junior year. Manning, on the other hand, decided to stay on. Even though he enjoyed the extra time in college, what if he had not stayed a year extra?
"The Jets had the first pick — interesting to think how things would have turned out. [Bill] Parcells was the head coach, Belichick was the D-coordinator. Does he end up coaching the Patriots and Brady?" (Timetstamp — 1:16:06)
Manning would have ended up with the Jets and would have played under Belichick, so the legendary combination of Brady and Belichick might never have happened!