Peyton Manning's wife has always shared the spotlight of being a notable, remarkable and nothing short of legendary American football player with her five-time league MVP hubby. She has always been beside the big moments of the Denver Broncos quarterback and has also been there during the downfalls and the somewhere in between. So who is the lucky lady considered as Peyton Manning's wife?
According to Bleacher Report, Manning's better half is Ashley Thompson, a woman who is considered as one of the "under-the-radar prettiest wives" in the NFL.
Peyton Manning's wife and the NFL player reportedly met before the latter's freshman year in college, and they have been dating since.
Several sources say that Manning has been quite loyal to Thompson and vice versa. Thus, it is not surprising that the twosome sealed their relationship with wedding bands in 2001 on St. Patrick's Day.
After tying the knot, the husband and wife waited for at least ten years later before finally starting a family and becoming parents to twins, Marshall and Mosely.
As opposed to other NFL wives, Peyton Manning's wife has expressed her disagreement to bask under the spotlight.
"I like to stay out of the spotlight. People may think I am aloof, but I'm not, and I am not shy by any means, but I always let Peyton shine," Mrs. Manning was once quoted saying.
Earlier reports also noted that Ashley once dished that she does not place a lot of demands on Peyton, which according to her is her way of showing her support to her hubby.
What makes Peyton Manning and his wife Ashley Thompson the ideal couple is that they both have been very helpful and active in various charities, including the PayBack foundation, which provides opportunities for at-risk kids and Peyton's Pals, which provide comfort and guardianship for the abused.
In one of her interviews about her and her husband's involvement in multiple charities, Thompson gushed, "We can give them financial support, but I also think we can give the kids confidence and help teach them to make the right decisions in their lives."
"A lot of these kids don't have a consistent adult in their lives. Definitely Peyton is a role model, and it is neat for me to be a role model for the girls in the group," she added.
Interestingly, Peyton Manning himself also recognized his wife's presence as the greatest gift to him especially during times when he started to question his ability to deliver.
"Because, they're signing you and people are thinking they're getting the player they had always seen before. And so, Ashley was the one that was saying, 'Peyton, you've got to try. You've got to try," Manning said of his wife's encouragement when he was about to give up on football after obtaining a neck injury a couple of years back.
"With this injury, nothing was happening. Nothing. For weeks. There was no progress. It was so frustrating. And really, I had a peace about it. I had a peace. Because, I had this unbelievable string of health for 20 years-since I was 15 years old as a sophomore in high school. So who was I to complain now that I'm injured?" Manning added then.
Finally, the quarterback concluded by saying how glad he is that his wife has always been there to push and support him no matter what.
"I've given it as good a run as I can give it. I've got kids now. I had a peace about it. So I didn't feel like I had to play to get another win or a touchdown. But she's like, 'You've got to try.' So I was glad that she pushed me to do it. Once I did it, I was going at it, and then I started seeing a little bit of light there. So, yeah, she was the one who kind of pushed me through it," he concluded.
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