CALLING THE SIGNALS…WITH PEYTON MANNING: On September 6, 1998, at 22 years, five months and 13 days old, PEYTON MANNING started at quarterback in the season opener for the Indianapolis Colts. Manning was the seventh-youngest rookie quarterback to start an opener since 1970. He passed for 302 yards on Kickoff ’98 Weekend and never looked back. Manning was the only quarterback in the league to take all of his team’s snaps and set NFL rookie marks for passing yards (3,739), touchdown passes (26), completions (326) and 300-yard games (four).

In addition, Manning showed marked improvement as his rookie season progressed. After posting a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-to-18 in his first nine starts, he threw 14 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in his last seven.

With five quarterbacks selected among the first 12 picks in the 1999 NFL Draft, the rookie experiences of Manning – the top overall choice in 1998 – could be especially telling. Following is a Q&A with Manning:

A: The overall speed of the game and the quality of the defenses I faced on a weekly basis were my biggest adjustments. Another adjustment was how tight the space is to get a ball to a receiver. That space in college is much bigger than it is in the pros. During my first few games last year, I kept wondering when I would see that same space that I saw in college.

Q: What is most difficult about reading a defense? How much faster do you have to read plays in the NFL?

A: The biggest challenge in reading a defense is the amount of situational substitution that happens virtually on every play. The situational defenses are much more prevalent in the NFL than in college. In college, you see a great deal of base defenses, but the personnel changes, down-to-down, set the NFL apart. Not only are you facing some of the most sophisticated defensive minds in opposing coaches, you truly have to beat 11 talented defenders. The speed of the game mandates that you make your decisions quickly. The decisions really are just fractions of a second, but that is a tremendous amount of time in the NFL.

Q: How would you compare Game 16 of last season to Game 1?

A: The entire season was a learning process for me. I appreciated the support of the organization in naming me the starter in camp, and I was fortunate to take every snap during the season. The speed of the game was very fast. If the pace of the game seemed 100 miles per hour to me, I know guys like STEVE YOUNG, DAN MARINO and JOHN ELWAY probably saw it at about 25 miles per hour.

It got better for me as the season progressed. I had good coaching and direction, and some good protection from my line. I still made mistakes as I went, but the best way to learn was to get the experience on the field. There would have been nothing to gain by watching from the sidelines. There was a realization process for me over 16 games. I’m not sure I would be the one to gauge how much progress I made. That is probably better left to the coaches. I know I worked hard, and I am ready for my second season.

Q: What was your best throw last season?

A: Rather than having a favorite throw, I just like any play, whether it’s a rush or a pass, that helps win a game. The highlight last year was our win over the New York Jets. We moved the length of the field for the winning score. That was the best team achievement we had last year. The winning play was a pass to tight end MARCUS POLLARD on a pattern over the middle of the field. Marcus made the play, though, by beating the last tackler.

Q: How much film of your 1998 games did you watch this offseason? What have you learned from it?

A: I have always relied heavily on film. I think it is one of the greatest learning tools in football. I have viewed last year’s film many times. There is great value in it. What I have learned is I need to improve on my discipline and decision-making on the field. I forced a number of throws and made some rookie mistakes. I also made some poor quarterback decisions – no matter how old I was. I want to become a more disciplined player who throws the ball away when things are not there, and to make better decisions. I want to use what I learned last year to my advantage.