Adams: Peyton On Parade: Manning came prepared to handle media circus

Although he's a Super Bowl rookie, you couldn't tell it Tuesday. Heads of state should be as prepared for a press conference.

None of this should surprise you. The "P" in Peyton could stand for "preparation." He didn't just wing his way to stardom. He's as prepared for the media as he is a defense.

That was evident when he was a freshman quarterback at the University of Tennessee. It's more evident now in his ninth season as the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, who will play the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday at Dolphin Stadium.

Don't get the wrong idea. You can't prepare for everything at Super Bowl media day. Questions come at a quarterback like pass rushers, from every conceivable angle.

One questioner asks you to break down the Bears defense. Another asks you, "What actor would you want to play you in a movie?"

Not even Manning was prepared for that one. When he hesitated, the clever person behind the microphone suggested, "How about Matt Damon?"

"Too short," Manning said.

Then, after pausing about as long as it takes to audible at the line of scrimmage, Manning said, "A young James Garner."

I didn't see that one coming, either.

Manning had an answer for just about every question -- whether serious, silly or repetitious -- as long as he could hear it. He couldn't hear Warren Sapp, a former Super Bowl winner who now toils for the not-so-super Oakland Raiders.

"Hey, Peyton," a mike-wielding Sapp shouted from behind a media thicket that was six deep. Manning never heard Sapp, who eventually opted for a more accessible interviewee.

No one was more accessible than Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Briggs, a couple of "American Idol" rejects who allegedly were representing "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at media day.

"Sing with us," Jonathan yelled to Manning, who was fielding another question and never noticed him.

Earlier in the day, at a less-crowded interview session, Jonathan and Kenneth got the attention of Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. He declined to join in as they sang -- very badly -- "Take me out to the ball game."

You can't prepare for Jonathans and Kenneths at a Super Bowl media day. You can prepare for whom you want to recognize.

Imagine if Academy Award winners could make 30-minute acceptance speeches. They still couldn't thank or compliment as many people as Manning did.

He didn't just mention his Colts teammates and coaches. He named the four Colts on injured reserve who won't play in the Super Bowl. He also mentioned former Colts, including coach Jim Mora, who left a five-minute congratulatory phone message after the Colts beat New England for the AFC championship.

Manning went from the injured Colts and ex-Colts to Tony Reginelli, his football coach at Newman High in New Orleans. Reginelli suffered a heart attack the day before the AFC championship game.

"We had a pretty emotional conversation (last week)," Manning said. "He is doing better. He said the Patriots game probably made him a little more nervous and didn't help his heart much, but it kind of got him through it once we won."

Manning didn't leave out his alma mater. He said UT coach Phillip Fulmer called to wish him luck, and that Fulmer was hopeful of attending Sunday's game. But timing might be a problem. Fulmer and his staff are in the process of wrapping up their 2007 recruiting class.

"Signing a good linebacker is more important (than attending the Super Bowl)," Manning told him.

How reassuring that must sound to UT football fans. In the midst of a Super Bowl media storm, their favorite quarterback hadn't lost sight of what's important.

Why, recruiting is almost as important as preparation.