Statement from Peyton Manning on his visit to watch the New Orleans Saints training camp Sunday morning:

"I enjoyed having a chance to come out to practice and I had an opportunity to come over and spend some time at their meetings last night. Coach Payton knew I was in town for a speaking engagement at the Greenbrier and it just so happened to coincide with the same time that the Saints were here for training camp. I was thinking the last time I had been to a Saints training camp was, I want to say, the training camp going into my junior year in high school, so let's call that 1992. I can recall going out to practice, Jim Mora was the head coach, and I was with my dad (Archie) who was doing the Saints radio broadcasts at the time with Jim Henderson. I was getting ready to go to Newman High School summer practice and I was working out and I remember throwing pass patterns after practice with the local media. So I was throwing passes to Lionel Bienvenu and Mike Hoss. That was actually the time I think I started to believe I could be a pretty good quarterback because I was actually throwing completions to Mike and Lionel and I said 'If I can get timing with fine athletes like Mike Hoss and Lionel Bienvenu, maybe I have a chance to be a pretty good quarterback.' That was a real major milestone for me, working out with the media at an NFL training camp. So it's fun to be back and it was great to see Drew Brees, who has been a long-time friend and an individual I have a great deal of respect for and it was fun to be with him and the other quarterbacks.

"Obviously I have known a great number of the Saints coaches from other places, like Joe Vitt and Dennis Allen, Peter Giunta and Bill Johnson and it was fun to visit with those guys. I really appreciate Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton letting me come out there. Aaron Glenn is on that coaching staff and I played against him a bunch and enjoyed talking with him. It was great to shake a lot of the players hands and really appreciated being asked to come out.

"Obviously it goes without saying but I have a lot of respect for Sean Payton and the job that he does. A few weeks ago my wife threw me a retirement party and invited guys that I have known for a long time in both coaching and playing. I invited Drew and Sean, and while Drew wasn't able to make it, Sean was there and I really appreciated him coming out. I just can't emphasize how much respect I have for them and the job they do and the great coaching staff there."