FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Adam Gase knew of Peyton Manning's maniacal work ethic once the legendary quarterback came to the Broncos in 2012 when Gase was the team's quarterbacks coach.
But rather than shy away from the challenge of coaching one of the NFL's all-time greats, Gase tried to match Manning's dedication. Even though Gase was two years younger than Manning at the time.
"It's one of those things where we met each other, and it was really who was going to be the first one to break," Gase, 40, said Monday at his introductory news conference as the Jets' newly named head coach. "Who was going to outwork who. He appreciates hard work. He appreciates somebody that's going to go nose to nose with him and mentally try to challenge each other."
It turned out to be a lasting relationship, and a very important one where the Jets' coaching search was concerned. After all, it was Manning who personally vouched for Gase in a phone call to Jets CEO Christopher Johnson during the nine-day interview process that culminated with Gase's hiring last Wednesday.
Having Manning in your corner is one of the most valuable NFL resources imaginable, and his belief in Gase is an important reminder of the potential the new coach brings to a uniquely challenging job with the Jets. This team hasn't been to the playoffs since 2010, comes off three straight losing seasons, and plays in a division that has been dominated by the Patriots since the 2001 season. But if Gase can bring stability to the quarterback position and thus infuse the entire franchise with new vigor, then he and Sam Darnold can enjoy many productive years together.
Gase was essentially polishing a diamond when he worked with Manning, who had resurrected his career after missing an entire season with the Colts because of a series of neck surgeries. But now he gets to start almost from scratch with Darnold, a highly desirable situation that immediately attracted Gase to the Jets.
And vice versa.
Gase's work with Manning will no doubt serve as an important resource for the coach, and their history together may have been the turning point of Gase's career. He had been hired in Denver by Josh McDaniels in 2009 but survived the coaching change to John Fox in 2011. After one season as quarterbacks coach, Fox anointed Gase offensive coordinator in 2012 _ a decision that had Manning's blessing.
"That was something I really enjoyed was that constant challenge, knowing that every day, you better have your plan ready," Gase said. "As a coordinator, you better have all the answers you need. That's a challenge. I mean, day-in and day-out, he's bringing his 'A' game. There's a reason he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer."
The two would often exchange voice messages about the notes they kept. Manning always took voluminous notes and kept his spiralbound notebooks handy at all times. I remember meeting with Manning early in his career in Indianapolis, and he shared a look inside the notebooks stacked in his locker. He'd write down the most minute detail of a formation, or a play, or anything that had to do with the offense.
By the time he finished his career, there were literally hundreds of notebooks chronicling every single day of his 17-year career.
Gase called Manning a few days before he was fired from the Dolphins to give him a heads-up.
"I said, 'Hey, something might go down on Monday,' " Gase said. "He was a little surprised, but he had a couple things we talked about, the way I should go about things. I don't look at it as a player-coach relationship. I really look at it as a peer-to-peer relationship. He's been in [football] so long, he knows how to handle things."
Don't be surprised to see Manning show up at the Jets on occasion.
"I always try to get him involved," Gase said. "He's not shy about letting guys know if he likes something, dislikes something. He's very honest. Guys that ask him anything, he's very honest. He's [a straight shooter] with guys, and I've always appreciated that about him. It's always good to get another set of eyes on what you're doing."
Manning's support is no guarantee of success for Gase. But earning the endorsement of a future Hall of Fame quarterback who used a coach's mentality to flourish in the NFL certainly can't hurt.
