Many people know what it’s like to be a queer sibling. Cooper Manning lived it like few others have.
Manning watched his brothers not only go to the NFL, but win multiple Super Bowls. Peyton Manning is considered one of the greatest players in NFL history, and Eli Manning could be in the Hall of Fame himself after a long career with the Giants.
Even Manning’s father, Archie, enjoyed a fruitful 14-season career as an NFL quarterback.
Cooper Manning’s story is not as simple as a football player who was not as successful as his brother. There’s a lot to know about Cooper as his son Arch continues his football journey in Texas.
Here’s a closer look at Cooper Manning’s football career and how it all ended.
More information: Inside Arch Manning’s family tree
Did Cooper Manning play football?
Manning played football and emerged as a standout wide receiver in high school. He caught passes from his younger brother Payton as a senior and parlayed that success into a scholarship to Ole Miss University.
Unfortunately, Manning’s career ended before he ever set foot on the field with the Rebels. A diagnosis of spinal stenosis led doctors to recommend he quit football, ending his career before Peyton or Eli could reach the collegiate level.
cooper manning high school football
Manning may have had a path to the NFL, but it didn’t happen as a quarterback. Although he didn’t have the same arm as his brothers, he had NFL-level size as a wide receiver and found a home at the position.
Manning was a two-time All-State selection at Isidore Newman High School and was a multi-sport athlete who also played on the basketball court.
Nearing the end of his high school career, Manning was scouted by Ole Miss, as well as Texas and Virginia.
What college did Cooper Manning attend?
Although Manning did not get to play football at Ole Miss, he still attended the school. Eli later attended Ole Miss, and Peyton spent his college career at Tennessee.
Manning’s father, Archie, also played at Ole Miss, so the eldest son followed in his father’s footsteps.
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Cooper Manning University Statistics
Despite being highly regarded as a wide receiver, Manning never played a game at Ole Miss.
Cooper Manning spinal stenosis
When Manning was 18, he began noticing numbness in his fingers and toes and atrophy in his biceps. After undergoing a series of tests at the Mayo Clinic, Manning learned she had spinal stenosis.
Fortunately, the condition was not life-changing for him, but it is a narrowing of the spine that often occurs in older people. Several athletes, including former MLB star David Wright, have tried to overcome the condition (and in Wright’s case it was a struggle), but each situation is different.
Manning spoke about his untimely end as a football player in a 2013 ESPN documentary, revealing that he missed the brotherhood of the sport more than anything.
Manning said: “I think the thing I miss most about football…is the players. You never win, you never lose, you never catch a touchdown. It’s like being in the locker room and getting on the bus and going home.” “It was,” he said.
Manning didn’t get to be a part of the team after his career ended, but he was able to experience it through his brother. While it may have certainly been bittersweet to see Peyton and Eli have so much success in college and the NFL, their careers brought Cooper as close to the action as possible without actually playing on the team. .
Manning was able to watch his brothers win a total of four Super Bowls and hopes to be able to live out the NFL experience again through his son.
More: Eli Manning’s hilarious reaction to Arch Manning’s starting debut
What is Cooper Manning doing now?
After his active career ended, Manning entered the world of business and law. Previously, he was a partner at Howard Weill in New Orleans for 16 years and is currently a senior managing director at AJ Capital Partners.
According to his bio, Manning “focuses on business development and investor relations” at AJ Capital Partners, and still lives in the New Orleans area.
Despite not playing football after high school, Manning began getting involved in the NFL media world. He is a special contributor to “Fox NFL Kickoff” and appears on pregame segments on the network’s NFL broadcasts.
More: Texas dominates UL Monroe in Arch Manning’s starting debut
Manning drew laughs in 2023 when he joked about himself and 49ers QB Brock Purdy being “third favorites” during a playoff segment.
QB #3 3 wins away from Super Bowl LVII…Cooper Manning also knows a thing or two about going No. 3 🤣😉 pic.twitter.com/c0OYfXRPfO
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 22, 2023
Football hasn’t worked out for Manning, but he certainly seems happy with himself. Now he can watch his son realize his own soccer dreams. And the journey is just beginning.
