?Dared to Penetrate his Personal Space?: 22-Year-Old Peyton Manning Stole Yankees Great Derek Jeter?s 10 Seconds in an Unexpected Manner

Known for his calm demeanor and dedication towards the sport, Derek Jeter had quite a few famous admirers during his New York Yankees years. They included names from other sports too, and one of them was surprisingly Peyton Manning, a former star quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts star had been a fan of the ex-Yankees captain since his early days and even watched him play in his last year. But the story of their meeting is a bit awe-inspiring.

Despite being from different sports, Jeter and Manning have quite a good relationship. From cheering on each other at games to making an SNL appearance together, the famous duo has done it all. And the first time that baseball fan Manning introduced himself to the Yankees icon, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

Peyton Manning Stole a 10-Second Encounter From Media-Averse Derek Jeter

The former shortstop always avoided talking to the press if the conversation didn’t involve baseball. But being a popular figure, Jeter came across strangers who were fans all the time, and a meeting with Manning occurred in the same way. In his book,?The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, Ian O’Connor details how they first met.

Both athletes were attending the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, watching Michael Jordan in action. Jeter was in the bleachers with his then-good friend Alex Rodriguez, both rising stars in MLB. When the former Yankee went to take a bathroom break as A-Rod waited for him, Jeter came across a fan.

“When he left his All-Star Game seat at halftime, Jeter parted a sea of awestruck fans on his way to the men?s room before one of them dared to penetrate his personal space. A hand emerged from the crowd. The shortstop was willing to give the stranger a quick handshake on the run until he heard the young man?s voice. ‘Derek, I?m Peyton Manning. You?re having some career.'” O’Connor writes on page 115.

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“Jeter stopped to congratulate the University of Tennessee quarterback who was two months away from becoming the first pick in the NFL draft, and Manning looked as pleased as any Little Leaguer would have been to earn ten seconds of Jeter?s time.”?The meeting left an impression on Manning and made him a lifelong Jeter fan.

Manning Attended Jeter’s Last Season in Person

Peyton Manning was present throughout the 2014 season at different Yankees games. It was his way of paying respect to the former Yankees captain and wanted to watch him one last time in person.

“I came to see Derek play,” Peyton Manning said after watching Jeter in batting practice in May 2014. “Derek and I have been friends — he’s a couple years older than me, but we’ve been pretty much professionals at the same time. So I wanted to pay my respects and see him play for the last time.”

While Jeter retired in 2014, Manning hung up his cleats the next year too. Both megastars are still sorely missed in their respective stadiums.

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