David Letterman, a well-known comedian and longtime talk show presenter, turned 77 today. Letterman received a ton of well wishes from people all across the world as he returns to anchoring his Netflix series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.” But one of the most poignant and hilarious wishes came from NFL icon Peyton Manning. The QB and Letterman have a long history together, having both appeared on each other’s programs.
When David invited the quarterback to his show, Manning—a legend on the Indiana Colts in his own right—was handed one of his first opportunities to appear in the media.
Peyton Manning and David letterman go a long way back
Manning and the talk show presenter have maintained regular contact and have even been in public together since then. On Letterman’s program, though, Manning’s most memorable moment occurred in 2014 when the quarterback and the presenter accepted an unusual challenge. After the show was taped, the two proceeded to their studio, picked up two footballs, and gave each other a challenge: toss the ball through one open window into a moving taxi.
Manning easily completed the task in just two tries, as anticipated. Meanwhile, David was a complete failure. Because of the togetherness and overall distinctiveness of the video, it went viral. So, like a best friend would, Peyton shared the video on David’s 77th birthday today along with an even hilarious caption.
He jokingly encouraged the legendary talk show host to be thankful that he kept to comedy and nothing else, while also wishing him a happy birthday.
“Good thing you stuck with the comedy thing. Happy birthday, Dave.”
When Letterman and Manning switched places in 2021 and took on the roles of host and guest, respectively, it was another memorable occasion between the two.