Manning is to LL Cool J as Brees is to Doogie Howser

There’s a lot on the line next Sunday in Miami.

Not only for the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, but for quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees as well. Sports marketers say the winning Super Bowl quarterback could double his marketability and endorsement portfolio.

Well, that might be difficult for Manning. He’s already the endorsement king, bringing in about $12 million annually from deals with MasterCard, Sony, Gatorade, Oreos and others. That’s about triple what Brees brings in from endorsements. Still, $4 million annually, that’s not chump change.

Companies considering partnering with Manning or Brees will likely have a close eye on The Davie Brown Index. It’s one of the nation’s leading indexes for brand marketers and tells a lot about the public’s perception of high-profile figures.

The DBI reveals some interesting facts about both QBs and their public perception. You might be surprised with some of the stars with which the two align.

Not surprisingly, Manning overall scores higher than Brees 78.99 to 51.83, meaning overall his brand resonates quite a bit louder with the U.S. public.

On the awareness front, Manning scores 84.57, Brees 42.44. It’s pretty amazing that almost 85 percent of Americans recognize Manning by name or face. The 15 percent that don’t must not have a television.

But on appeal, Brees outscores Manning 77.18 to 76.73. On the influence scale, Manning scores a 71.36 to Brees’ 64.12. And on the trust barometer, Manning scores a 65.89 and Brees notches 61.13.

The scores say that once the public becomes aware of Brees, they tend to like him a lot. So clearly, since only 42.44 percent of Americans currently recognize Brees by name or face, he has the most to gain by piloting his team to Super Bowl glory.

Now for the most interesting part.

On the awareness level Manning is in close proximity (at least among U.S. consumers) to Brett Favre, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and Collin Farrell.

As for appeal, consumers find Manning about as likeable as Jon Bon Jovi, Elvis Presley, Richard Petty and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Manning’s aspiration score aligns with Joe Montana, Denzel Washington, Grant Hill and Dick Clark.

His endorsement score is on par with Carrie Underwood, George Clooney and Morgan Freeman.

His influence ranks Manning among the top 100 celebs in the DBI database (No. 78), near Tom Brokaw and John Travolta.

Here’s the Brees breakdown.

Awareness: Helio Castroneves, Mike Krzyzewski, Mira Sorvino.

Endorsement score: Hank Aaron, Samuel L. Jackson, Pat Riley, Rihanna and Queen Latifah.

Appeal: Rocco Mediate, Chris Noth, Jack Nicklaus and Zach Galifianakis.

Aspiration score: Julia Roberts, Danica Patrick, Dan Aykroyd and Dwyane Wade.

Trust: Richard Branson, Ted Danson, Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris.

Hmm. Who knew Manning aligned with LL Cool J and Brees with Doogie Howser.

With that in mind, Feb. 7 should be a super Sunday.