Kiski Area QB Heinle reaps benefits of Manning Passing Academy

By: Jerin Steele
Wednesday, June 28, 2023 | 5:58 PM

Kiski Area quarterback Carson Heinle has heard “good ball” before when he has thrown a pass.

Hearing those words from two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning brought a whole new emotion.

“It was insane,” Heinle said.

That was one of many highlights during Heinle’s time at the Manning Passing Academy last week at Nicholls State in Louisiana.

The Manning Passing Academy is a four-day camp held once a year for high school football quarterbacks and receivers run by Archie Manning as well as his sons Cooper, Peyton, and Eli.

Heinle registered for a waiting list six months ago and found out he would be attending the camp a month before it started.

He went there after a strong finish to his sophomore season: He started the final six games for the Cavaliers and passed for 1,005 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

Heinle worked with the Manning brothers and said Peyton gave him tips on his shotgun stance.

Along with the Mannings, he was coached by a large group of current NCAA Division I quarterbacks such as Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan and Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt.

“Each quarterback there had a specific area they were teaching,” Heinle said. “They were two- or three-minute drills, and we went to all of them. They did a really good job with the training. Everybody that went got the same coaching. They did a really good job, and, obviously, getting some comments from Peyton and Eli was really eye-opening.”

At the camp he met quarterbacks from all over the country and even one from overseas.

“My roommates were from Colorado, Tennessee and North Carolina,” Heinle said. “There was a quarterback I met that was from Italy. It was cool to meet them and also see where I was at as a quarterback.”

Heinle said he believed he had a good showing at the camp, and he had a unique attribute because he was the only left-handed quarterback in attendance.

“Pretty much every college quarterback I worked with pointed out that I am a lefty,” Heinle said. “I do think that helped me stand out a bit. Cooper Manning even said something about me being a lefty. The quarterback from UNLV (Doug Brumfield) is a lefty, and he told me he wanted to find a lefty all day and he finally found one. So we played catch for a bit.”

Getting guidance from multi-time Super Bowl champs such as Peyton and Eli was invaluable for Heinle.

He didn’t go home empty-handed either.

Along with the instruction during his four-day stay in Louisiana, he received a book of drills to take home with him.

He plans on putting them to good use and has a better understanding of what he needs to continue improving upon.

“There are countless drills that I learned and so many that I have with me now,” Heinle said. “It was a lot of footwork stuff for me. That’s something I need to improve on is my footwork.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Kiski Area