Peyton Manning’s Wife Stays Out of the Spotlight. Here's What We Know About Ashley Manning
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Peyton Manning may be used to wowing crowds on the field but this Wednesday night, the former NFL quarterback is set to take the stage to co-host the 57th Annual Country Music Awards alongside Luke Bryan. While everyone’s excited to see the Hall-of-Famer take on this new role, many people are taking it as an opportunity to look further into the athlete’s life, which brings us to today’s topic: Peyton’s wife, Ashley Manning (née Thompson).
Who is Peyton Manning's wife, Ashley Manning?
Ashley Manning is an American businesswoman born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She went to college at the University of Virginia and after graduating with a degree in Marketing and Finance in 1997, she ventured into real estate and went on to launch her own successful development firm.
How did Ashley and Peyton meet?
Ashley and Peyton met while they were in college—she at UVA and Peyton at the University of Tennessee. In a twist of fate, it was Ashley’s parent’s next-door neighbor that introduced the two.
In Peyton’s book, Manning, A Father, His Sons, And A Football Legacy, he recalled the encounter. "It was in August, at one of the few fraternity parties I went to," he wrote. "We were introduced and only talked a little while. I didn't make a big first impression (she said later my pastel shirt was a turnoff) but I was certainly impressed… With all her qualities, I think what pleased me most about Ashley, though, was that she liked me for who I was, not what I was."
As the story goes, one thing led to another, and by 2001, they were married; by 2011, they welcomed twins.
Do Peyton and Ashley Manning have children?
Peyton and Ashely's twins, Marshall Williams and Mosely Thompson, were born in 2011. They join Archie Mannings list of grandchildren. Peyton's brother, Eli, has four children (Ava, Lucy, Caroline, and Charlie), and brother Cooper has May, Heid, and Arch, who is now a quarterback at the University of Texas.
Ashley’s Impressive Resume
Throughout her endeavors, Ashley has amassed an impressive net worth of around $20 million. With that kind of cash—and a love of sports—she applied to be a minority owner of Tennessee's NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
"I am very excited to make the commitment to join the potential new ownership group of the Memphis Grizzlies," she said in a statement. "As a native of Memphis, it was important to me that the Grizzlies remain in Tennessee and continue to have a positive impact on the community."
To make the experience even sweeter, Peyton—whom she’d been married to for 11 years at the point of her involvement in 2012—was nothing short of supportive. In a statement to The Denver Post, he said, "While my focus is on playing quarterback for the Denver Broncos, I look forward to watching her become involved with her hometown team."
As supportive as the two are of each other, there’s no doubt that she’ll be in attendance for Peyton’s big moment on the CMA stage—even if she’s not immediately visible. After all, that’s kind of her thing.
"I'm very independent," Ashley also told Indianapolis Woman magazine in 2006. "I do a lot of my own things." She continued, "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."
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