Reggie Wayne Details Story of Peyton Manning’s Insane Dedication

Reggie Wayne had no idea what he was in for when he arrived with the Indianapolis Colts in 2001. On the surface it all seemed pretty great.

He was going to a dome team with one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, Peyton Manning. This meant he could have success right out of the gate provided he managed to gain chemistry with the Pro Bowler as quickly as possible. This meant he tried hard during their earliest days together to hang out away from the field. Just get to know each other, right?

Well unfortunately for Wayne he had no idea how single-minded Manning was when it came to the game of football. The man’s intelligence and preparation became legendary over the course of his career, but Wayne shared some inside information for the first time on how ridiculous the man would get at times. That includes building an exact replica of the Colts’ meeting room at his home.

"“I remember the first time I went to his house and in his basement where a normal person would have a theater room, he had like a clone of the meeting room from the complex. He had the big screen, he had the projector. He had all the equipment we have in the meeting room in his basement. For me, it was like, cool, I get to leave the complex and go hang with Peyton. I walk in his house and then it feels like I’m back at the complex. That’s just how it was with him. That’s what you respected about him.”"

Wayne may have found it annoying, but that made him a better player

Most players find that level of hard work exhausting and monotonous at times. Understandable. The human brain can only absorb so much at a time. Nonetheless Wayne should not complain too much. That extra effort and preparation better him a better football player, a Super Bowl champion and possibly a Hall of Famer. He should be grateful that Peyton introduced him to that sort of stuff so early. Would he have been as open to it later on?

Hard to say. Regardless it’s another reminder of the simple truth that working hard enough can accomplish almost anything in this sport if you have enough talent.