New Orleans Saints legend Archie Manning will be honored with the 29th Annual Pete Rozelle Award by The Touchdown Club of New Orleans on Saturday, March 3. The award is given each year to the person who has made outstanding contributions to professional football and the National Football League.
The Saints drafted the quarterback in 1971 as the second overall pick out of Ole Miss. Manning played for the franchise for 11 years. During that time, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice and awarded NFC MVP. Manning held at one time virtually every Saints passing record, completing 1,849 of 3,335 passes for 21,734 yards and 115 touchdowns. Manning, who is a member of the Saints Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame, is still second in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns in franchise history. Manning went on to play with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings before his 1984 retirement from football.
The Touchdown Club also will be honoring Burton Burns, the University of Alabama associate head coach and running backs coach, with the Collegiate Award, former high school coach Otis Washington, Jr. with the Prep Award and the former New Orleans sports writer Bill Bumgarner with the Roesler Media Award. The banquet will be held at the Windsor Court Hotel. Tickets are available via the Touchdown Club at (504) 242-4545, info@tdcno.com or their website www.tdcno.com.
Photos of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning.
Photos by Michael C. Hebert and Associated Press (New Orleans Saints Photos).