Ole Miss unveiled on Monday that it will honor Archie Manning with a statue outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The statue will stand just south of the football stadium and north of the Olivia and Archie Manning Performance Center.
Manning, a native of Mississippi, started at quarterback for Ole Miss from 1968 to 1970. In that time, he accumulated 4,753 passing yards and 823 rushing yards. His 56 total touchdowns still rank sixth in school history. Manning was an All-SEC selection in 1969 and 1970, a second-team All-American in 1969, and he finished third in the 1970 Heisman Trophy voting.
“Archie Manning is one of the most iconic figures in the history of Ole Miss and a person whose impact extends far beyond the football field,” athletic director Keith Carter mentioned in a statement. “His legacy as an Ole Miss Rebel, a leader, and a role model inspired generations of student-athletes, alumni, and fans. We are proud to honor Archie with a statue on our campus, where his remarkable story began, and to create a lasting tribute that will remind future generations of what he has meant to Ole Miss and to our entire university community.”
Manning eventually became the No. 2 overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, going to the New Orleans Saints, where he would again become a local legend. He played 13 seasons in the NFL and earned two Pro Bowl nods before retiring after the 1984 season.
In 1989, Manning was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and he was the first player in Ole Miss history to have his number (18) retired.
Since leaving the Ole Miss program, Manning has maintained an impactful presence in Oxford. Manning and his wife, Olivia, have been major supporters of the Rebels, and his son Eli also became a program legend during his career from 2000 to 2003.
Manning hasn’t been shy about defending Ole Miss in the public forum either. Earlier in the offseason, when Lane Kiffin told Vanity Fair that the lack of diversity in Oxford made it harder to recruit there, Manning defended the school and pointed to the progress it’s made.
The family’s reach hasn’t been limited to Oxford. Archie’s son, Peyton, became one of the best players in Tennessee history and is now a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, grandson Arch Manning leads a Texas team with legitimate national championship hopes in 2026.
