Even The Other Brother In The Spotlight

YOU'VE SEEN the commercials. The Manning Brothers -- Peyton and Eli -- licking the icing off cookies in an empty stadium. Then there's one where the pair are horsing around in the hallways of ESPN.
And when I saw those commercials it brought home the affinity brothers have for each other. They were kids again. So much for the millions and even the accolades from being Super Bowl champions. Peyton with the Indianapolis Colts and, more recently, Eli with the New York Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.
It sent my mind deep in my own family memory bank of my hulking kid brother, Garry, and myself walking along a main Calgary street and lifting our much shorter father off the ground and carrying him for half a city block. And laughing all the while. It was one of those incredible memories, which only a brotherhood of brothers would ever understand.
Of course, every time I think of that Calgary street scene a smile creases my face. While our dad has passed away and Dr. Garry is now a noted Winnipeg psychologist, who travels throughout the world, giving lectures, he'll always be just my kid brother.
So when I filtered through a bevy of SI photos on the Net, one which stood out was one with father Archie, the one-time New Orleans quarterback, and the three brothers -- Peyton, Eli and Cooper.
Perhaps, the name Cooper might not be a household name, but he's been, nevertheless, an inspiration and a rock to this illustrious sporting family.
While the other members of Football's First Family, including mother Olivia, have been front-page news in the past, this year Cooper has received his due. And it's about time.
In 2004, in the St. Petersburg Times, Dave Scheiber put into perspective both life and football. It bears repeating the essence of that featured article concerning the least-known Manning.
What's so unqiue about Cooper is that despite his promising football career coming to a grinding halt after being diagnosed with "spiral stenosis," his enthuasiasm has been overwhelming for life.
He's moved on to become a successful trader in oil and gas stocks and while he could have become a negative force, he has been the one with the sense of humour, which, seemingly, puts life in perspective for both the "serious" Peyton and the "laid back" modus operandi of Eli Manning.
The Older Brother began learning the football trade at the knee of his father, Archie, the NFL veteran, and that early training certainly caught the interest of his father's alma-mater, Ol' Miss.
Those fatherly skills seemed to be inherited by Cooper, who at 6-4 and 185 pounds with exceptional speed and agility, appeared to be headed for greatness at a tender age.
Although two years younger, Peyton, certainly looked up to his older brother. However, their horse-play must have caused their quiet father to wonder at their sanity. In the wings was the the much younger brother Eli watching their antics.
During recent TV commercials, it appeared as if Peyton and Eli were the real cutups, but, in actuality, The Older Brother, although unseen, held the trump card in the quick-witted department.
During his illustrious high-school career, Cooper Manning, had his father's abilities and even on the basketball court he excelled. Later, he and brother, Peyton, were an astounding pass-and-catch combination.
Then the troubles began -- first slowly -- and then they accelerated.
Father Archie took Cooper to a New Orleans surgeon, who discovered he had "an injured ulnar nerve," which is not uncommon and can cause numbness in the fingers and hands.
However, when he arrived at Mississippi as a freshman those physical troubles continued and his father took him to the Mayo Clinic, according to Scheiber.
It was then the seriousness hit like a ton of bricks and a three-hour operation due to spinal stenosis sent his athletic career careening.
While such news might have destroyed some, Cooper Manning , has turned it into a positive and he has become an anchor to both brothers and one of the reasons both have laid claim to highest prize in pro football -- the Super Bowl.
One of the most telling statements from Scheiber's story was Cooper's attitude. "I'm just a big believer that things happen for a reason ... You can walk around and be a sad guy, but that never appealed to me."