Tom Brady and Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, right, meets with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after a game at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 21, 2010. The Colts lost 31-28.

Throughout their NFL careers, superstar quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had some legendary battles during the regular season and in the playoffs, and both have since established themselves as bonafide legends of the game. And it sounds like Brady thinks he has Manning to thank for helping him reach his potential.

During his recent Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony held at Gillette Stadium this month, Tom Brady sent a pretty clear message to Peyton Manning as he opened up about just how important Manning was to his growth and development as a quarterback.

“I think that I could never have been the type of player that I was without having someone like Peyton that I had to aspire to be like,” Brady said at the ceremony according to CBS Sports. “And I looked at him as the gold standard for quarterback play, and I still do.”

Obviously, Brady seems to think that the competition between him and Manning throughout their careers helped bring the best out of him as a player.

Brady also enjoyed a lot of success against Manning as Brady won 11 of his 17 career matchups against Manning, though Manning did go 3-2 against Brady’s teams in the playoffs.

[CBS Sports]