Football fans who tuned in for the start of the 2020 NFL Draft on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network on Thursday evening saw a two-and-a-half-minute intro voiced by two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning.
Manning thanked healthcare workers who are helping the country through COVID-19 and ended his message with word of encouragement.
Tonight, a little bit of normal returns. A little bit of hope.
For the players. For the football family. For all of us ❤
Welcome to the 2020 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/K1HUm0BqUw
— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2020
Manning, 44, won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007 before later joining the Denver Broncos in 2012. He won another Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2016, becoming the first starting QB in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
Manning, a 14-time Pro Bowler and seven-time first-team All-Pro, was the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft after winning 39 games with the University of Tennessee, marking the most wins by a QB in SEC history.
After winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Manning will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and he’s a lock to be voted in as a first-ballot candidate.
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