Cooper Manning details beginning of legendary organization that helped Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy and countless others

Cooper Manning shared how the Manning Passing Academy was created. NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy attended the four-day football camp to develop.

On Friday, the entrepreneur and Fox Sports TV host appeared on the "Under the Number Podcast" to discuss the origin of the Manning Passing Academy. He shared that the Bowden family inspired his father, Archie Manning, to create the football camp in 1996.

Former Samford Bulldogs coach Terry Bowden, with his father Bobby Bowden and brother Tommy, created the camp to develop players from college, including Peyton Manning. Cooper recalls his brother persuading their father to start his own after the former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback came home from Bowden's camp.

"The Bowden family had a camp," Cooper said (12:58). "Peyton had attended. So all the, you know, Terry Bowden, and Tommy Bowden, and Bobby Bowden, and all of the family go together and had this camp. Peyton attended and came back and said, 'We probably ought to do something.'"

He noted that Peyton was in college then, and Eli Manning was in eighth grade. The entrepreneur shared that the first Manning Passing Academy started with 200 people. Today, the football camp welcomes 1,400 quarterbacks from eighth grade to high school seniors, including prospects from different countries.

The football camp also has college players attending as counselors to work with the campers. Mahomes and Purdy participated as counselors at the Manning Passing Academy.

He said that players like Mahomes and Purdy benefited from the experience, as they got to spend time learning from Eli, Peyton and other coaches.

"We'll have 45 starting college quarterbacks come and be counselors, but also soak up the mojo and tutelage of Peyton and Eli and then other coaches," Cooper said (14:20).

Cooper Manning shares how the Manning Passing Academy brings family together

The TV host shared that the football camp is a family reunion for him. He said they live in a dorm and share a bathroom, which brings them together.

"Selfishly, I think it's kind of a family reunion for us," Cooper said (14:36). "My dad and I, you know, live in a dorm and share a bathroom and a sink, and Peyton, Eli, you know, right there, you know, they share one.

"And so, we all have, you know, breakfast in the morning, eating Cheerios and running out the door, putting sunscreen on, and ready to try to make the 8:00 staff meeting."

This year's football camp will be held from June 26 to 29 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.