Relive Peyton Manning's tremendous Tennessee career: 14 things to know
Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning is retiring, so we take a look back at some of his best moments while still in college at Tennessee.
By
Tom Fornelli
•
3 min read
After one of the greatest careers a quarterback's ever assembled, Peyton Manning plans to announce his retirement on Monday after 18 years in the NFL. He goes out a winner as quarterback of the Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos, and before that, he won Super Bowl XLI as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
In five years, he'll be a first-ballot member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and while he didn't become the Peyton Manning the entire country knows until he started winning and setting records in the NFL, he put together a rather successful college career as well.
So with the news of his retirement reported Sunday, we thought it would be best to take a look back at his college days in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Here are 14 things to know about the ultimate member of the Volunteers.
• Most were surprised he joined the Vols in the first place. Though he played high school football in New Orleans and his father, Archie, was a star at Ole Miss, Peyton Manning decided to attend Tennessee instead. (His older brother, Cooper, signed with the Rebels but never played due to a medical condition, and Eli Manning later played for Ole Miss.)
• Manning took over as Tennessee's starting quarterback during his freshman season following injuries to Jerry Colquitt and then Todd Helton. (Yes, that Todd Helton, who would go on to have an impressive baseball career with the Colorado Rockies.) Manning appeared in 10 games for the Vols in 1994, starting eight and leading Tennessee to a 7-1 record in those starts with the only loss coming 17-13 to Alabama.
• Manning started every game for Tennessee over the final three years of his career, finishing 39-6 as the Vols' starting quarterback. He returned to school for his senior season despite being able to graduate following his junior year.
• He holds numerous school records, including most passing yards in a season (3,819), touchdown passes in a season (36), career passing yards (11,201), career passing touchdowns (89) and highest completion percentage among quarterbacks with at least 400 attempts (.625). Oh, and he also has the record for most career passing attempts (1,381) as well as completions (863). What we're saying is that he was rather prolific.
• Manning was named SEC Player of the Year in 1997. He also won the Davey O'Brien Trophy, Johnny Unitas Award and Maxwell Trophy that season.
• He was the SEC's all-time leading passer when he left for the NFL but now stands four in the conference behind Aaron Murray (Georgia), David Greene (Georgia) and Chris Leak (Florida).
• Manning still has more 300-yard games (17) than any other quarterback in conference history.
• Though he never won the Heisman Trophy, Manning finished sixth (1995), eighth (1996) and second (1997) in Heisman voting over his three years as the Vols' starter.
• Manning threw for a school record 523 yards and five touchdowns in a 59-31 win over Kentucky in 1997. The 523 yards ranks third all-time in SEC history for a single game. He tied his own school record by throwing for five touchdowns against Texas Tech later that same season.
• Leading the Vols to four bowl games in four seasons, Manning went 3-1 in those postseason contests. Tennessee only played in one SEC Championship Game with Manning, however, beating Auburn 30-29 in 1997. No. 3 Tennessee went on to lose to No. 2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl during the year prior to the emergence of the BCS.
• Manning went 3-1 in four seasons against Alabama, becoming the first Tennessee quarterback to beat the Crimson Tide thrice in his career.
• On the flip side, Florida fans to this day gleefully point out that Manning was 0-3 as a starter against the Gators, 0-4 if you include games he played in but did not start.
• In 1998, Manning became the first Tennessee player selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft since running back George Cafego was taken by the Chicago Cardinals in 1940.
• Tennessee retired Manning's No. 16 in 2005. He would never wear the number again, donning No. 18 for the Colts and Broncos in the NFL.
What we're trying to say is that Manning was a very good quarterback before he reached the NFL, and he became an even better one while there. Odds are it'll be a while before we see anyone else like him.
