Weekly Cover: Laying Down the Law with Mike Manley

Jake Piseno recently dragged Mike Manley to a power vinyasa class. It’s a vigorous style of yoga characterized by fast-paced movement, deep breathing and body-bending poses.

Piseno, 24, is an up-and-coming star in the Premier Lacrosse League, a second-year pro out of UAlbany and one of the most exciting long-stick midfielders in the game.

Manley, 37, is the oldest player in the PLL but still an imposing figure for the Denver Outlaws.

“After that, we're drenched and there's just a pool of sweat under us,” Manley said. “That really kicked our butts. I've shifted my workouts toward more mobility.”

Manley is a regular in the gym. He relies on a massage therapist for manipulation as part of his recovery. The routine has kept him among the best one-on-one defenders in professional lacrosse. Nobody messes with Manley.

“You listen to other professional athletes talk about how they take care of their body and things they do for their body,” said Manley, who is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. “I end up having to spend more money just taking care of my body, but it's really important. This is really important to me. And I would do it over and over again.”

Manley’s 14th professional season will conclude with the PLL championship game Sept. 14 in Harrison, N.J. The Outlaws captain caused a turnover and had a ground ball, anchoring a defense that held California scoreless for 21 minutes in the second half to help Denver pull away with a 12-7 semifinal win Monday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.

The Outlaws return to their first title game since 2020, when they were a part of Major League Lacrosse. (The PLL resurrected the team in 2023 when it assigned home markets and rebranded the Chrome.) They’ll play the New York Atlas, who advanced with a 13-11 win over the Philadelphia Waterdogs.

“This is probably my last opportunity at it,” Manley said. “As a younger player, you care about it, but you think you have more down the road. I'm willing to put in all the work needed to get that W.”

Manley has been performing at a high level and chasing titles since graduating from Duke in 2012. He was the 2014 MLL Defensive Player of the Year with the Rochester Rattlers, who fell in the 2014, 2015 and 2018 finals — the latter defeat coming after they moved to Dallas and at the hands of the Outlaws.

Once described by a rival coach as an old-school defenseman, Manley continues to contribute a physical brand of play that has translated into success. His 19 ground balls this summer led all defenders for the Outlaws, who ranked third in goals allowed per game on their way to a 7-3 record in the regular season to take the top spot in the Western Conference. He’s also caused seven turnovers, another nod to his physical play.

“It's more of a mentality thing,” Manley said. “That's the thing I've always prided myself on. I like the physicality of the sport. I know the sport’s kind of going the opposite way, like every contact sport is – which I agree with, with the injuries and the concussions and stuff like that. But I've always prided myself on being a physical player. It's a big part of the game and a big part of my game.”

Manley is not one to back down from a challenge. Outside of his weekend work for the Outlaws, he is in his 10th year with the New York State Police. Being a part of the elite force with stringent entry standards carries a gravity that’s different from desk jobs.

“I put on a bulletproof vest every day,” Manley said. “Every day I get to take it off is a great day.”

Manley travels with a canine partner as part of a gun and drug detail that operates in Rochester, N.Y. He often encounters violent felons. The state troopers in his detail know about his weekend lacrosse commitment, and they try to look out for him, sometimes telling Manley that he can stay put if a suspect flees so he’s healthy for his next game.

“I can’t be a guy that sits back and watches,” Manley said. “That’s not me.”

He’ll often share harrowing stories from work with lacrosse teammates and answer questions about his involvement in something they may have seen on or read in the news — as much as he can while not putting himself or his unit at risk.

“People, I see the best in them and I see the worst in them,” Manley said. “I've seen a lot of things in my line of work and in my life. Truly, going to play lacrosse is easy for me.”

It’s part of a different outlook Manley brings to the Outlaws. He and Jesse Bernhardt, 35, are the elder statesmen of Denver’s close defense, which also features 2022 PLL Defensive Player of the Year JT Giles-Harris. The unit sometimes gets overlooked considering the star power Outlaws have on the other side of the field in PLL MVP finalists Pat Kavanagh and Brennan O’Neill.

Manley has more to share as an older player. He and wife Jessica have a 2-year-old son, Beau, and another child on the way – due just after the PLL final.

“It really puts life in perspective for me,” Manley said. “What a blessing it is to play this game that I love and still compete at a high level. It's one of those things that I always cherish.”

Manley acknowledges he’s in the sunset of his lacrosse career. He never takes another season for granted. Even his wife thought he might retire two years ago, but Denver’s moves like trading for Kavanagh and drafting O’Neill got him excited to return the last two years. He’s enjoyed each year he’s come back.

“Being able to perform at the level we can and get paid for it has brought that joy and love back into the game for me,” Manley said. “That's been one of those motivating factors for me.”