VALDOSTA – Georgia Christian School held their annual benefit dinner on Oct. 27 in the Valdosta State University Student Union Ballroom.

The benefit was headlined by college football and NFL legend Archie Manning being the featured speaker.

Ryan Warren, GCS chairman of the GSC Board of Directors, held a moderated Q & A session with Manning.

The session featured a wide range of questions, ranging from Manning’s family to his playing career, as well as questions about his views on the current state of football.

Manning, while being known a legendary quarterback in college and the NFL, is also the patriarch of one of America’s most well-known families.

Manning is the father of two other former NFL quarterbacks in Peyton and Eli Manning.

Additionally, his oldest son, Cooper, also played football and is the father of Arch Manning, who is one of the highest-rated recruits in college football history.

Manning discussed Arch and his recruiting process as he had offers from top schools across the country. Arch committed to the University of Texas at Austin on June 23.

However, Manning said he never intended to raise an athletic family, but he is also glad he got to see his children play.

Though he is glad that his sons have won at the highest level, he’s most proud of what his sons have done to give back to the community.

While some questions were directed towards his children and grandchildren, Manning was also asked about his upbringing. Manning then discussed how his father died while he was attending the University of Mississippi.

“I had to become a man overnight,” Manning said.

Manning also said that his head coach, Johnny Vaught, became a new role model to him following his father’s death.

Manning was asked about giving up on his baseball career to pursue a football career. Manning was drafted a handful of times, including by the Atlanta Braves during his senior year of high school.

The Q and A session then shifted towards sports-related issues such as concussion protocol and expansion of the College Football Playoff.

Manning, believed concussion protocol should have happened sooner, saying how concussions “didn’t exist” when he played. He also mentioned how players during his career would refer to a concussion as “getting dinged”.

As for his opinion on playoff expansion, Manning, who was on the first-ever College Football Playoff Committee, believes it should stay at four teams rather than expand to 12 teams. He said that there’s usually not 12 teams good enough to play for a national championship.

Manning was also asked about whether upcoming athletes should specialize in one sport or try multiple sports. Manning believes that kids should have the experience of playing multiple sports, but that it’s more important for kids to enjoy the ride and have fun.

He even discussed how sports has helped him overcome adversity and how important is to learn to deal with adversity.

In addition to the Q and A session, Manning also met and talked with the GCS football team, saying he shared a story about Peyton referring to a former teammate as the best teammate he ever had. He said that everyone should strive to be a good teammate, whether it’s in sports or in the workplace.

Manning’s most important message, though, was how his faith helped shape him and his family. He said that he and his family wouldn’t be where they are today without their faith in Christianity.

Manning joins a growing list of special guest speaks for GCS’s annual benefit. The list includes former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, former coach Lou Holtz, legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw and former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.