Peyton Manning is planning to attend BFF Todd Helton's final game in Denver

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton announced his retirement from baseball this week, and according to the Denver Post, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has plans to watch Helton's final home game on Wednesday.

Manning and Helton were classmates at the University of Tennessee and have been good friends ever since. The Rockies and Helton invited the star QB to use their facilities to train during the 2012 NFL lockout, giving him a locker at Coors Field.

Manning has said he follows the Rockies mostly because of his relationship with Helton, who he called "a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame friend."

While Manning's Broncos are one of the top teams in football -- with a Monday night matchup against the Raiders coming up -- the 2012 Comeback Player of the Year is taking time out of his schedule to see his college pal take the field one last time.

"Sometimes when you just write '17-year career,' it doesn't do it justice," Manning said. "You ought to put it in bold caps and write it about 50 times just to realize how much work he put in."

Here's Manning talking about his friendship with Helton (and R.A. Dickey!) during a game in April of last year: