Rookie
Manning making big plays for Panthers
HOUSTON (AP) -- At 23, Ricky Manning Jr.
is the youngest member of the Carolina Panthers.
At 5-foot-8, he's the shortest.
As
a rookie, he's also among the lowest-paid.
He notes that he lives in an apartment near
the stadium, while his fellow cornerbacks
have big houses.
Yet
in recent weeks, the little guy has come
up big. And now that he has the Super Bowl
as a platform, he's hoping to cash in.
''A
guy like me, I like the attention,'' Manning
said Tuesday. ''I strive for it, because
I know it means you're doing something good.
It sets up a lot of opportunities for me
outside of football. You want to market
yourself out there. I mean, it's great.''
Manning
has gone from face in the crowd to starring
role thanks to his performance in the last
two playoff games.
It
began in overtime of the divisional round
game against St. Louis when he snatched
a pass from Rams receiver Torry Holt. That
set up the winning touchdown in double overtime,
prompting teammate Brentson Buckner to call
Manning's pickoff the most important play
of the season.
Then
Manning intercepted three more passes against
Philadelphia in the NFC championship. They
came in a span of four drives, with the
exception being a one-play series at the
end of the first half.
He
ended the Eagles' first drive of the second
half with a pickoff at the 14, helping preserve
a 7-3 lead. The next one led to the touchdown
that made it 14-3 and helped turn the publicity
seeking rookie from UCLA into the only Manning
playing in the Super Bowl.
What,
you were expecting Peyton Manning, NFL co-MVP
and son of former star quarterback Archie?
It's
just Ricky Manning Jr., who didn't become
entrenched as a starter until the final
month of the season, and only then because
of injuries.
He
finished the regular season with three interceptions,
tying for the team lead. His three pickoffs
against Philadelphia tied for second-most
in a playoff game; four in one postseason
also is among the best.
''Ricky's
a player,'' said Carolina running back DeShaun
Foster, who was a year ahead of Manning
at UCLA. ''He's not the prototype corner,
but he's going to play like it. Being a
rookie, people are going to attack him.
He just does his job and plays well.''
Manning
made all-conference three times in his four
years at UCLA, even though he spent his
summers playing outfield in the Minnesota
Twins farm system. Despite good speed, he
couldn't steal first base, so he decided
to focus on football.
High
hopes for the draft fizzled when he went
82nd. He was the 11th cornerback picked
and the fourth overall choice by the Panthers.
He
began the season as the third cornerback,
then replaced the injured Terry Cousin in
the starting lineup with four games left.
Instead
of wearing out late in the season, he went
on a hot streak. He returned an interception
27 yards for a touchdown in the finale against
the Giants, then allowed just two catches
and broke up two passes against Dallas in
the wild-card game.
Reggie
Howard, Carolina's other starting cornerback,
isn't surprised by Manning's emergence.
He's seen him make the same plays in practice
all season.
''It
was just about him getting comfortable out
there on the field,'' Howard said. ''His
confidence level is real high, which was
never a problem with him. He's just out
there making big-time plays and coming up
big.''
Manning
understands that he's only a rookie, which
means he's still learning. Each week he's
getting to know different players, different
coverages.
About
the only constant is having to bring breakfast
every Saturday for all the other defensive
backs.
''I
have been able to get in there and learn
under fire,'' Manning said. ''I'm getting
the experience early and it'll help me out
in future years, I'm sure.''
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