Human Interest Human Interest News Business & Technology Peyton Manning Says He and Eli Manning Taught Their Dad How to Text: He'd 'Fill Up Our Voicemails' Peyton breaks down some of the world's greatest inventions, including the telephone, tonight on his History Channel series, History's Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning By Natasha Dye Natasha Dye Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE covering sports. Her previous work appears in The New York Post and Popstar! Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 27, 2023 04:23PM EST Photo: courtesy of Justin Bettman/The HISTORY Channel Even NFL legend Peyton Manning has to help his parents with technology. The 46-year-old former NFL quarterback tells PEOPLE he and his brother Eli Manning had to teach their father, 73-year-old former football player Archie Manning, how to send text messages after he continuously maxed out their voicemail inboxes. On Monday, Peyton will break down the greatest inventions in history, including the telephone, on a new episode of History's Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning. "My dad is one of the all-time best at checking in on people," Peyton says of his father. Archie often prioritizes time to check in "on his old teammates and friends," Peyton shares, "but he would basically just fill up our voicemails, the maximum amount of time you could have for it, so Eli and I taught him how to text." Peyton Manning's Son Marshall, 11, Shows He's Got the Family's Football Gene in Impressive Video Todd Kirkland/Getty Peyton explains that his father "was basically asking every question on the voicemail and almost kind of pausing for an answer" while leaving the messages. "I'm like, 'Dad, it's a voicemail, I can't answer it,' and so now he's great about texting." The Manning family stays connected despite their busy schedules, including through a group text thread consisting of Peyton's brothers, Eli and Cooper Manning, and their dad. Archie also sends "a daily devotional scripture every morning," Peyton says of his dad's strides in texting. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The legendary quarterback loves a group chat. "I'm on lots of group text threads," says Peyton. "I'm on a Colts one with old teammates; we've got a fantasy football league together." The conversation in Peyton's fantasy football league chat is full of "a lot of back and forth banter," says Peyton, who also regularly talks to his college and high school friends via group text threads. "It's a great way to stay connected, stay in touch, and keep you in the loop," he explains. Peyton Manning Admits He Fell During an Intense Game of Pickleball with Eli: 'I'm an Average Player' New episodes of History's Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning air Monday at 10 p.m. on The History Channel. Peyton watches the show with his kids, friends, and family because the show offers a fun take on history for sports fans. "It's a good teaching show, and it's meant to be debated and watched with other people," he says. Close