National Football League

Meeting 'idol' Peyton Manning helped mold Garrett Grayson

Published May. 27, 2015 12:52 a.m. ET

foxsports

Garrett Grayson is widely expected to be the future at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. With that said, he still has some time to sit and learn behind a superstar in Drew Brees, which is a great thing for him.

Interestingly, though, it wasn't Brees who helped Grayson and his confidence, but was another Pro Bowl quarterback in Peyton Manning.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN, when Grayson was invited to participate in the annual Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana, it changed everything.

“Peyton’s somebody I’ve looked up to my whole life, kind of been my idol,” Grayson said of the New Orleans native.

“We got to sit down in a room with him and Eli and just talk football, how they prepare for the game, what they’re looking for in defenses. So that was something I learned from, just to kind of be around him and see how he approaches everything, that meant a ton,” Grayson told ESPN. “You always hear about what a perfectionist he is, how seriously he takes every single drill. So to get to meet him and be around him and see that in person, I kind of learned from that and took that back."

“Looking back on my senior year, that’s another thing why I had so much success, because I wasn’t taking things like even a simple three-step drop for [granted]. I was serious with everything I did. So I’m definitely thankful for that opportunity.”

Triplett also pointed out that the reason why Grayson wears No. 18 is because of how highly he thinks of Manning. That's a whole lot of respect, but it's great to hear about an experience like this one that truly changed things for a young quarterback.

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports