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In a teary-eyed speech from Denver on Monday, quarterback Peyton Manning announced his retirement after 18 seasons in the NFL.
Manning, who won five MVPs and two Super Bowls over the course of his career, spoke at length to thank all of the coaches, teammates, and competitors that helped make his career one of the best by a quarterback in NFL history.
He also explained why he feels he is retiring with no regrets.
"There were other players who were more talented," Manning said. "But there was no one who could outprepare me. And because of that, I have no regrets."
via ESPN
Indeed, this scrupulous, almost obsessive preparation was what separated Manning from his competitors - and what made him so good.
Dating back to his time at Tennessee, Manning developed the reputation as a total football junkie. In college he arrived hours earlier at practice than his teammates, and in the pros he poured over the tape, scrupulously analyzing his performances and better understanding opposition defenses.
If ever there were a picture to describe the type of preparedness Manning referred to in his retirement speech - the key to what made him so good - it's this one:
