SUMMER WELCOME: Manning Passing Academy returns to Nicholls State

New digs, same gig.

That’s what campers can expect upon arrival at the third annual Manning Passing Academy, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Nicholls State University’s John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux.

More than 1,000 youth football players will descend upon the Colonels’ newly-installed AstroTurf 3-D playing surface to learn the tricks of the trade from Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning, and a bevy of other gridiron greats.

The camp is so popular that it usually fills up months in advance.

&#8220This has really become a big event,” said Nicholls State Athletic Director Rob Bernardi. &#8220One of the things I’m most appreciative of is the impact the camp has had on the campus and the community.”

The premise for the passing academy was born out of a collective concern that the fundamentals of passing and receiving weren’t being properly addressed at the high school level.

This impelled Archie Manning and his sons to assemble an instructional staff that boasts some of the best high school, college and professional players and coaches in the nation.

The camp currently possesses a camper-to-coach ratio that’s greater than 10-to-1.

Instructors include San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers, New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, along with Indianapolis Colts wideouts Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, to name a few.

They combine to provide top-notch instruction to quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs and tight ends.

&#8220This is very much a working camp for the kids, with three to four practice sessions a day,” Bernardi explained. &#8220But it’s also a lot of hard work to the Mannings. I think this camp really means something to them.”

This year, it also means something to the Nicholls football program.

Since Archie Manning is the spokesperson for GeneralSports Venue (the company responsible for donating the state-of-the-art synthetic turf for the passing academy), the Colonels become indirect beneficiaries.

NSU football coach Jay Thomas believes the new playing surface will provide a &#8220big boost” to his program.

&#8220The new-turf is something that we can use year-around and it will help us with a lot of recruiting,” said Thomas in an earlier interview. &#8220Our players are really excited.”

Almost as much as the campers.

&#8220I can only imagine how unreal it would be for a kid to go back to school in the fall and tell his classmates that he attended a passing camp over the summer and Peyton Manning was his coach,” Bernardi said.

&#8220The Mannings make every attempt to converse and interact with these kids, as well as make them better for their high school teams.”

Eli, Archie and Peyton Manning return to Nicholls State University tomorrow to help run the Manning Passing Academy, which will be conducted on the newly-installed playing surface at John L. Guidry Stadium.

• Staff photo by DOUG KEESE (NSU)

Doug Keese