C.J. Anderson recalls time Peyton Manning told him pre-snap he was going to beat a defender

C.J. Anderson's favorite memory from last season?

Being on the same page as Peyton Manning.

"Had to be the communication from me and Peyton," Anderson told MHR during a phone interview after participating at a Beat the Heat event put on by Gatorade at Cherry Creek High School on Friday evening.

"Who would have ever thought that coming from where I came from — all the things I had to get through — Peyton Manning would be talking to me and let me know, ‘Hey, this might be coming,’ or ‘Hey, if you see this, just let me know'?"

Specifically, Anderson recalled a 3rd-and-11 play against the Chiefs in Week 13 when he and Manning were on the same page.

"I knew it was man (coverage), he knew it was man-to-man, I turned and looked at him and was like, ‘Hey, I got Justin (Houston) on me,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I know, I’m coming to you.’ I ran the route, next thing you know, he throws it to me, I break a couple tackles and I’m in the end zone."

The play, in GIF format, can be seen below:

"The fact that me and Peyton were on the same page pre-snap, dialed-in before it, that means everything."

The Broncos went on to win the game, 29-16. Anderson finished the night with 185 yards from scrimmage.

Coming off a Pro Bowl season, Anderson said Friday evening that he is the team's starter going into training camp. Off the field, he's been teaching young athletes the importance of staying hydrated.

"You hear a lot of stories in the league where guys are not hydrated, or they think they are hydrated and they’re cramping, or not recovering properly.

"I am educating (young athletes) about being hydrated because you don’t want to miss a game-changing play by being on the sidelines."

Anderson also spoke about the team's offensive line, Denver's hardest hitter, his favorite Gatorade flavor, and more. The full story will be published Monday Tuesday on MHR.