National Football League legend Peyton Manning ended his retirement speech in a perfect way, as the popular quarterback expressed his Christian faith in a news conference on Monday.
Manning, who will be lined up among the greatest players to play in the NFL, quoted 2 Timothy 4:7 to end his emotional speech, saying that he has "fought a good fight" and has "finished the race" after a successful 18-year-career in the league.
"There's a scripture reading, 2 Timothy 4:7: I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race. I have kept the faith," Manning said in a news conference. "Well, I've fought a good fight. I've finished my football race and after 18 years, it's time. God bless all of you and God bless football."
While he has not been very vocal of his Christian faith in the past, Manning surely got a lot of attention when he used the popular passage, which was written by Apostle Paul to Timothy. It symbolized how Paul did his best to accomplish all the things God wants him to do.
Manning said that during his career, he made sure that he is giving his best night in and night out.
"When I look back on my NFL career, I'll know without a doubt that I gave everything I had to help my teams walk away with a win," Manning said. "There were other players who were more talented but there was no one could out-prepare me and because of that I have no regrets."
His hardwork and faith in God gave him a lot of success in the league. According to ESPN, the 39-year-old quarterback won two Super Bowls, including Super Bowl 50. He also left the game as the all-time leader in passing yards with 71,940 and passing touchdowns with 539. He is also tied with Brett Favre for most quarterback wins at 186.
While he ended his career on the field, Manning is quite sure that it is just the beginning of God's other plans for him. "I'm totally convinced that the end of my football career is just the beginning of something I haven't even discovered yet," he said.
