How disgraced Ex-NFL QB Ryan Leaf manipulated Peyton Manning's career

When Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning finally calls it a career, his resume may be one of the greatest pivot in NFL history.

But in the greatest of ironies, it's one of the most disgraced players in the sport's history that Manning owes a debt of gratitude towards for his contributions in constructing a career path to super stardom.  

In an excerpt from former sports agent titan Leigh Steinberg's new tell-all book entitled The Agent, he reveals that Manning wouldn't have been an Indianapolis Colt had infamous ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf not sabotaged his own draft stock.

Steinberg reveals Leaf's desire to be drafted by the Chargers, and details the scheme the pair hatched to ensure Manning was selected first overall back in 1998. 

“'If you go to the combine,' I told Ryan, 'but fail to show up for a meeting with Mora, that should do it. Jim is a real prideful person who has a tendency to explode. I am not recommending you do this, but if you are desperate to go to San Diego, this is the way.'

Ryan approved, but I first cleared the idea with Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard, lest San Diego also question my client’s reliability. Beathard went along with the ruse. If he’d had a problem, Ryan would've shown up for his meeting with Mora."

...

"Once Ryan was a no-show, Mora, as anticipated, went ballistic. I defended my player, naturally, dismissing the coach’s response as another Mora meltdown. As I’d anticipated, Ryan was criticized, but the plan achieved its purpose. The Colts took Manning. Something tells me the folks in Indianapolis have never regretted that decision."

[Steinberg's excerpt via Thomas Dunne of St. Martin's Press and Mike Foss of USA Today]

Should Steinberg's recollection be accurate -- to which Leaf's history of self-sabotage certainly corroborates -- who's telling what would have been?

While hindsight may be 20/20, the distinction between the two top picks in 1998 is just as clear.