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'LeBron has walked the walk': Hall of Famer Peyton Manning salutes LeBron James in Akron
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- 'LeBron has walked the walk': Hall of Famer Peyton Manning salutes LeBron James in Akron
Giving back and family legacies.
Peyton Manning and LeBron James have more in common than being among the greatest NFL and NBA players of all time.
The similarities were not lost on Manning as he accepted the 2024 Ambassador of Golf Award from the Kaulig Companies Championship , PGA Tour Champions and Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation on Thursday night in Akron.
Peyton Manning is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 8, 2021. Manning was presented by his father, Archie Manning.
Manning attended the Ambassador of Golf dinner at House Three Thirty in Akron. It's the venue transformed by the LeBron James Family Foundation and used as a vehicle to provide training and jobs to students, parents, educators and family members connected with the I Promise School .
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Operating through a partnership between James' foundation and Akron Public Schools, I Promise is a short distance along West Market Street from House Three Thirty, the renovated former Tangier restaurant .
" LeBron has walked the walk," Manning told the Beacon Journal, "and that says a lot about him."
LeBron James reacts to a fan calling out support at the opening ceremony of the Akron Public Schools and LeBron James' I Promise School on July 30, 2018, in Akron.
A Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts and another with the Denver Broncos, Manning revealed he texted Los Angeles Lakers superstar and Akron native James on Thursday.
"I love the fact that he gives back," Manning said.
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More on Peyton Manning's visit to Akron: NFL legend honored as Ambassador of Golf at House Three Thirty
Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning claps during a Ring of Honor induction ceremony for Tarik Glenn on Oct. 30, 2022, during a game against the Washington Commanders in Indianapolis.
Peyton Manning says he's 'pulling for' Bronny James as LeBron's eldest son embarks on NBA career
Manning , 48, is the son of longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning and brother of two-time New York Giants Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning.
Former Cavaliers No. 1 overall draft pick James, 39, and his oldest child, Bronny James , are set to become the first father-son tandem to play together in NBA history. Last month, the Lakers drafted Bronny , 19, in the second round (No. 55 overall) out of the University of Southern California.
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"I'm pulling for [Bronny]," Manning said. "I don't know him, but, yeah, obviously, how cool is that for the two of them to play together? I've heard [ LeBron ] say how proud he is. But, yeah, it's an exciting chapter for his son getting to go play in the NBA."
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. after a play against the Sacramento Kings on July 6 in San Francisco.
NFL legend Peyton Manning credits father Archie and coach Tony Dungy with influencing him
Manning received the Ambassador of Golf Award because of his efforts to promote the game and make a difference through charitable initiatives.
"I had a great mentor in my dad," Manning said. "Growing up, he retired when I was 8, but he was still just very involved in New Orleans and different charities that he was supportive of, and I could just tell that the people of New Orleans just sort of appreciated him for that, for staying in that city and giving back and making New Orleans a better place to live.
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"You get drafted by the Colts, and then Tony Dungy is your coach. He kind of said, 'Hey, look, on Tuesdays, on your off day, don't be over here all day watching film. Go out and make Indianapolis a better place to live.' So when your mentors are sort of showing you the way on how to give back and how important it is, it was easy to follow that lead."
The Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital on June 12 in Indianapolis.
Manning and his wife, Ashley, started the PeyBack Foundation in 1999 to offer leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk.
Manning serves as an ambassador, advocate and fundraiser for the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent in Indiana.
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Manning joined the Pat Summitt Foundation advisory board in 2012 and co-chairs fundraising events. An iconic women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, Manning's alma mater, Summitt died in 2016, five years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
"She was a great friend of mine," Manning said. "[She] lost her battle to this terrible disease, and kind of keeping her legacy alive, [we're] trying to help beat this terrible disease."
Former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, right, shares a laugh with Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt during the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Feb. 20, 1998, in downtown Nashville.
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning plans to talk to Lakers star LeBron James in preparation for Olympics coverage on NBC and Peacock
Manning explained he and James have been working on setting up a phone call. Manning wants to interview James ahead of the Paris Olympics, so he can convey James' thoughts on USA Basketball while hosting NBC Universal's coverage of the July 26 opening ceremony with Kelly Clarkson and Mike Tirico. In 2021, James appeared on the "ManningCast" during a "Monday Night Football" game.
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Perhaps during their Olympics chat, Manning will mention his House Three Thirty experience to James, a 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate who is known for his philanthropic endeavors in Akron.
"There's so many athletes doing so many great things," Manning said. "You don't hear about it as much, but you don't do it to receive awards. But I think when you do, it certainly gives athletes more of a platform about what they're doing and to help raise more money.
"So I just encourage people to find something that you're passionate about, give your time and money, if you can. It can make a huge difference on the beneficiary, but also have a big impact on you as well."
LeBron James and his hometown: Why the Akron Public Schools Athletics HOF inducted NBA's scoring king, even though he didn't attend an APS high school
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Peyton Manning commends LeBron James during Akron appearance
