Arch Manning, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, is facing sky-high expectations with his first starting game. And his family is right by his side to support him — including his younger brother, Heid Manning, who used to play football with him.
First, no, Arch and Heid are not twins. They two brothers are sometimes mistaken for twins because they’re very close in age (only separated by 20 months, in fact) and look similar. But they aren’t twins.
However, they are very close. In fact, Eli Manning has said that Arch is his brother’s “biggest fan.”
Heid Played Football with Arch in High School, But Doesn’t Play in College
In an interview with Horns 24-7, Heid spoke in-depth about his relationship with Arch, and how the two brothers are similar and different.
While Heid said he got their dad’s “charisma and the funny parts,” Arch was the one who got the athleticism.
Heid joked that in high school, he was the 5’10”, 220-pound center and “no one was recruiting me.”
When he and Arch played football together at Isidore Newman High School, Arch was never afraid to yell at him, Heid added. But this was because of how close they are.
“I mean, God, he’d get on my tail if I had a bad snap,” Heid recalled to Horns 24-7. “If the snap wasn’t a perfect spiral into his hands, he’d be ripping me, and the coach would be like, ‘Arch, calm down.’ But I think he liked that he could yell at me. He didn’t yell at anyone else.”
He added that Arch has always been a quiet “lead by example” person in sports.
“He definitely sort of mimics Eli [Manning] in that way,” Heid said.
Now that they’re both attending the University of Texas, their lives are on very different trajectories. But Heid said he’s able to be there for Arch, especially when he needs to get his mind off football.
“If he has a rough game or we lose one, I think he’ll definitely seek me out and just kind of get away from the team for a little bit,” Heid said. “On Sundays, he wants me to come over and hang out with him. So I think he’s looking forward to that. So am I.”
Arch is Heid’s ‘Biggest Fan’
In an interview with Texas Monthly, Eli Manning said that Heid is the comedian of the two, and Arch is his brother’s “biggest fan.”
“No one laughs harder at his dad or his younger brother than Arch,” Eli said. “He’s their biggest fan. He likes to be surrounded by humor, but he’s okay in a big crowd not being the funny one.”
Cooper Manning, Heid and Arch’s father, agreed.
“Arch’s brother, Heid, is a very, very funny boy,” Cooper said to Texas Monthly. “Arch finds him hysterical. So Heid always had the stage, and Arch is probably his best customer.”
Arch Manning Is His Younger Brother Heid’s ‘Biggest Fan’