April 19 (UPI) -- Ahead of this week's NFL Draft, future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning provided some advice to former LSU star quarterback Joe Burrow, who is considered the top prospect in the draft.
Manning, who was the No. 1 overall selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 draft, said Sunday on SportsCenter that Burrow recently reached out to him for tips on being a rookie quarterback in the NFL.
Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship last season at LSU, attended Manning's Passing Academy last year.
"He called me about some of the things that I tried to do as a rookie that maybe he can apply to his NFL career," Manning said. "Looks like it's going to be for the Cincinnati Bengals.
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"What I told him, 'Look, Joe, if you're the first pick in the NFL Draft, you are going to a team that has earned the first pick in the NFL Draft. There are going to be some holes there. There's a reason the Colts were picking No. 1 that year. There's a reason the Bengals are picking No. 1 this year.'"
Manning also pointed out the struggles he endured during his rookie campaign, which included more losses than his high school and college careers combined.
"[Then-Colts head coach] Jim Mora never took me out," Manning said. "I learned some things in the fourth quarter of those blowouts about what it took to be an NFL quarterback, and the next year we went from 3-13 to 13-3. That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't have hung in there and learned the ropes as a rookie, even though we took some bumps and bruises.
"So that's what I tried to encourage Joe and all the other rookie quarterbacks, that your rookie year is not going to be the same as your senior year in college. But if you learn how fast the defensive backs are, how soon you have to get rid of the ball, understand defenses, you can become a better player and really get it going the year or two after that."
After Manning's rookie season, the 14-time Pro Bowl selection had only one more losing season as a starting quarterback in his NFL career. He won two Super Bowl titles and ranks third in league history in passing yards and touchdowns.
The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to select Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, which will be held virtually Thursday through Saturday because of the coronavirus pandemic.
