Reggie Wayne spent most of his NFL career working with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, maybe one of the best in history. After being teammates with Peyton Manning during his time in Indianapolis, the wide receiver knows a thing or two about what makes a quarterback great. Now that the Manning-era is over and done with in Indianapolis, Wayne still sees some of the characteristics around, but in second-year starter Andrew Luck.
Wayne has played a key role in the greatness that has been earned by the Indianapolis Colts and last season he played a key role in rebuilding that franchise to have a return to form year after Manning left for the Denver Broncos. While there are plenty of differences between the Colts prior to 2011 and the Colts after 2011, Wayne says the one thing that bridges the gap is the similarities between the two quarterbacks.
Luck become the heir to the Manning throne and Wayne believes they are more similar than others might think.
"The way [Luck] approaches practice, I hate to do this, but it's somewhat like a Peyton Manning," Wayne said on NBCSN. "Even though I hate to compare the two, he takes practice just like it's a game. He knows as well as I do that practice is probably going to be harder than the games because you're going to see it so many different ways. In game time, you may only see it once or twice."
Luck was tasked with having to step in for a Super Bowl-winning, MVP quarterback and so far he has lived up to the challenge. Wayne praised the way the quarterback commands attention in the huddle and is able to coach players in the right way. While he hesitated to make the Manning comparison, Wayne understands that the only quarterback Luck can be is himself.
"What I would much rather Andrew do is build his own legacy, whatever that is," Wayne said. "Andrew, he can't be a Peyton Manning. He can't be a Tom Brady. He can't be an Aaron Rodgers. Only thing Andrew can do is be Andrew so whatever you're motto is that's what you need to work on. . . . I like what I see. Well, actually, I love what I see in him."
Luck is well on his way to building his own legacy in Indianapolis. He led the team to an unexpected playoff appearance last year and is only looking to build off that in 2013. It certainly is not easy filling Manning's shoes, but luck is quickly making fans forget about the other quarterback.
