Archie Manning had a firm rule<a href="http://www.officialvikingshop.com/shop-by-players-kyle-rudolph-jersey-c-2_25.html"> Kyle Rudolph Womens Jersey</a>  when watching his sons — and now his grandkids — play sports.

"My theory was, I always had a little talk with myself before I ever got out of the car: you're going to sit up on the top row and keep your mouth shut," he said.

If anyone has earned the right to speak up it's Manning. A Hall of Famer who starred with Ole Miss and the New Orleans Saints, he raised two sons, Peyton and Eli, who went on to win Super Bowls. Yet Manning — who will be the featured guest at this year's Commercial Appeal Sports Awards at the Orpheum on June 9 — said parents have to know their role, regardless of how successful they may have been.

"My role as a parent was to encourage and support," he said. "You're there after a loss or a disappointment and you don't go overboard <a href="http://www.officialvikingssale.com/shop-by-players-moritz-boehringer-jersey-c-2_16.html">http://www.officialvikingssale.com/shop-by-players-moritz-boehringer-jersey-c-2_16.html</a> if they're having a bad day. And these (high school) coaches, they're not in it for money; they're in it because they love working with youngsters. The officials aren't getting rich; they're doing the best job they can."

Not surprisingly, Manning has fond memories of his own high school career in Drew, Miss. In addition to football, the 67-year-old played basketball (reaching the state tournament as a senior), baseball (beginning his varsity career as a seventh-grader) and ran track.

"I tell everybody it was like Mayberry," he said. "It was just a rural farm community ... a wonderful little town in the Mississippi Delta. We <a href="http://www.authentic49ersshop.com/shop-by-players-jerry-rice-jersey-c-1_27.html">Jerry Rice Womens Jersey</a> had a group of us, the athletes, and we played all sports. My teammates weren't as big or fast as the teammates I had in college and the pros, but they had as much heart.

"I was valedictorian of my high school class but what I don't tell people is that there were only 48 of us in the class. I remember one time — we had four football coaches and they had to dress out and practice with us because we were a little thin. I don't know that that's happened very often."

Numbers — and of course talent — dictated that Manning would be an all-arounder in high school. In an era where the emphasis is increasingly on specialization, he said it's important to let kids try as many things as they can.

"Obviously, you may have a prodigy, a real good tennis player or a golfer who can break 80 as a 10-year-old," he said. "In that case, you may want<a href="http://www.authenticbroncosshop.com/shop-by-players-russell-okung-jersey-c-1_44.html">http://www.authenticbroncosshop.com/shop-by-players-russell-okung-jersey-c-1_44.html</a>  to (specialize). But I'm not as big on that at a young age. It could be playing the piano or (acting in) plays ... you just want kids to stay busy. You can't force them into sports."