Peyton Manning has called it quits.
The five-time NFL MVP announced his retirement Monday after 18 seasons, which culminated with his second Super Bowl victory last month.
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Manning's voice cracked as he reminisced about his career.
He noted that he still owns the NFL record for 28 interceptions as a rookie.
"Every year I pull for a rookie to break that record," Manning joked.
Manning said little brother Eli might have broken it had he started all 16 games his rookie year with the New York Giants.
Manning started off his retirement remarks talking about another gunslinger, former Baltimore Colts star Johnny Unitas.
Manning talked about the struggles of his rookie season, when Indianapolis went to Baltimore -- the Colts former home -- and lost. Unitas shook his hand after the game and told Manning he was rooting for him. Manning said that the words of Unitas, who died in 2002, stayed with him.
"I hope he knows that I stayed at it, and I hope he's a little proud of me," Manning said.
Manning is going to miss quite a bit about football. Here are some he listed during his retirement news conference:
- Steak dinners at a place in Indianapolis after wins.
- Battles against players such as John Lynch and Troy Polamalu (to name a few).
- Going against coaches like Bill Belichick and Jeff Fisher, Rex Ryan (again, to name a few)
- Figuring out blitzes with longtime center Jeff Saturday.
- Demaryius Thomas constantly telling Manning he loved him and thanking Manning for coming to town each time he caught a touchdown pass.
- Handshakes with Tom Brady.
- The fans, even those in Foxborough. "They sure should miss me, because they sure did get a lot of wins off me," Manning said.
Manning will end his career as the owner of numerous NFL records, including most career touchdown passes (539), most passing yards (71,940), most touchdowns in a season (55), most passing yards in a season (5,477), most wins (200) and most games with 300 or more yards passing (93).
He is also the only quarterback to win the Super Bowl with two teams and one of only two to beat every team in the NFL. Brett Favre is the other.
Manning said nothing is going to overshadow this "joyous day," especially not something that happened decades ago.
In a new lawsuit filed last month that claimed a hostile work environment for women at the University of Tennessee, Manning was cited for his alleged harassment of a female trainer in 1996.
"It is sad that some people don't understand the truth and facts. I did not do what is alleged," Manning said. "I'm not interested in re-litigating something that happened when I was 19. ... Like Forrest Gump said, 'That's all I have to say about that.'"
Manning was the first overall pick by the Colts in the 1998 draft. He spent 14 seasons in Indianapolis before leaving for Denver in 2012.