In his 15-year career as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, not to mention another three years as defensive coordinator in Kansas City and four years in Cleveland as a special teams coach, Hall of Famer Bill Cowher came across quite a few great football minds on the field and on the sidelines.
None of them top Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning though.
In a roundtable interview with the NFL on CBS crew, Cowher stated that Manning was the smartest football mind he had ever encountered in the NFL due to his ability to read defenses, know exactly where to go with the football, and do so quickly.