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KNOXVILLE -- Atop Peyton Manning's head set an off-white Honors Course ball cap, a small but unmistakable orange "T" attached to its side. Covering his torso was a blue Honors Course golf shirt.
"I'll be back in Chattanooga in a few days," the Indianapolis Colts quarterback and our town's most famous occasional resident said Monday from the lobby of the University of Tennessee's Thornton Athletics Student Life Center.
"I'll work out at McCallie (School), lift a few weights at D-1 (Sports Training), then play golf at the Honors. That's a day that's tough to beat. Unfortunately, about the time I get my golf game back in July, it's time to go to training camp."
When it comes to being true to his school, the 34-year-old Manning is always tough to beat, especially when it comes to his Peyton Manning Scholarship. Marianela D'Aprile became its 13th recipient Monday, the award covering tuition, room and board. It is granted to a first-year student on the basis of academic achievement, leadership and community service.
Continue reading at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Comments » 49
jmr68ut writes:
Peyton for president!!
UT37916 writes:
Hopefully, some day soon Peyton will return to UT as Head Football Coach.
Down_The_Field writes:
either the next coach or AD.......or both
8ball writes:
Hey lets make him a Professor , President, AD & Football coach, NO JOKE
JBVols1698 writes:
WE LOVE COACH MANNING!
tnsportsman writes:
YES! COACH PEYTON MANNING! Peyton embodies The University of Tennessee as THE ONE! Class act, great person and great player!
I truly believe Peyton Manning will be the Head Football Coach someday after the NFL. IMO his style would be to be OC first, then next HC.
GO VOLS, WE ARE UT!
willaustin writes:
I was fortunate enough to meet Peyton our sophomore year at UT. I lived at College Park in the building behind his (he lived with Trey Teague and a couple of other guys whom I can't recall right now).
We were all trapped there during the blizzard of 1995, so everyone in the entire complex had a gigantic snowball fight. All of a sudden, this guy comes out hurling snowballs about 90 MPH wearing a UT helmet (I guess so he didn't get an accidental detached retina or something, that would have been bad).
After the fight was over, we found out it was Peyton, and he went around and shook everyone's hand and introduced himself.
That is one of my most favorite memories at UT. I could tell right away meeting him that he was something special. I was fortunate enough to see him in every home game, a handful of away games, and the SEC championship against Auburn.
I will always be a Peyton fan, and to me, he exemplifies what it means to bleed orange. I'm grateful we have a steward for our university who selflessly gives and who is tirelessly committed.
One case in point is how he still does commercials for St. Mary's/Mercy because of how nice the sisters were to him when he had his knee surgery. He definitely doesn't have to do that.
If I can raise my son a fraction as well as Archie and Olivia did, I will produce a fine addition to our society, and our great state.
Kids, here's your role model.
And no, I don't have a Peyton bromance, I just like the guy, OK?
orangecountyvols writes:
Peyton is someone very special. Please, don't wish upon him being Tennessee's coach down the road. I would not wish that on him with some of the fans there are here. After a few losses here and there, we know all too well the routine, the 'get rid of the coach' dialogue.
He's already a great success and will be in anything he chooses to do, but being a coach where the fans expect a win every weekend is probably not the road to travel. I know, most of us don't really mean he should be a coach at U T, it's just giving him a compliment, which he deserves !
CLEMSONVOL716WASBANNED writes:
Congratulations to Ms. D'Aprile. Good luck in all you do. Just remember to give back to your community as it was provided to you.
TommyJack writes:
And whatever became of Wes Rucker?
gillblog writes:
A 'perfect alum', yes. But, I can't help but say I lost a lot of NFL football respect for Peyton last season when the Colts were FORFEITING their chance (and his) for a perfect season. The one and only time in his career when I wish he had behaved like Bret Favre and simply run on the field (against the Jets) and releave the Colt's backup qb who was obviously not ready to play. But, Peyton does what he always does and followed the 'team-plan' and didn't break any rules and stood helpless and seathing on the sidelines. Now, since the Colts also lost the SB they are left with nothing. Nothing. An imperfect season is no disgrace if it comes after a complete effort by your team. When your team purposefully gives up, an imperfect season is a mark of shame.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Mr. Manning is a class act, to say the least.
RollTideJoe writes:
I have a lot of respect for him also. Of course, the reason he went to UT was Cutcliffe, same as reason his brother went to Ole Miss (plus Archie played there). I love the commercials he is in. He is a good ambassador for the school.
cooper65#432178 writes:
Coach maybe, but that's not my guess. I think with his communication skill, fame, and FB knowledge, he will be a broadcaster. It could be in the studio for pregame or in the booth as an analyst. Hopefully, he will tutor Vol QBs as much as possible regardless of what direction he takes.
CoverOrange writes:
Why doesn't someone start a Rocky Top League for football (okay, maybe flag football) and have Peyton, et al, come back on the field with Knoxville area (UT) players. You know the community would turn out to see that.
gillblog writes:
I agree.
One consideration, he's got enough money to almost buy his own NFL team if he wants. He doesn't need to do anything after retiring for that reason. HC in college will be even more high pressure by that time and my guess is he wont willingly put himself into the pressure cooker. I'm inclined to think he will end up in broadcasting or else go into business with his family.
illinoisvolfan writes:
I agree, he'll follow his dad's footsteps there too. With all his time in the filmroom, no doubt he'll recognize everything he sees and discuss it. I hope he doesn't say what he would have done all the time, like Johnny Miller does with golf. That just makes the analyst look bad, like he's a big know-it-all or a second-guesser.
shipperman#280095 writes:
Peyton is an exemplary young man. Need more like him. However your story is bunk. We had no blizzard in 1995. The blizzard we had was in 1993, which by deduction would place you in high school at that time.
Colliervol writes:
Certainly Cutcliffe was a major reason that Peyton came to UT but there is one other small factor. Ole Miss was on the cusp of probation about the time Peyton was signing. The Mannings didn't want Peyton toiling in obscurity and with limited talent around him while Ole Miss was serving their time.
KiwiLuvsUT writes:
After Peyton leaves the NFL I believe he will become atleast QB coach, but hopefully HEAD COACH!
Coach Peyton Manning... just rolls off the tongue.
GBO!!!!!!!!
And COLTS!
willaustin writes:
Your attitude is bunk, and you're an @$$h0le.
Sorry Sherlock, we had two blizzards around that time, it was the second semester of my Sophomore year which would have been the blizzard of 1996. I guess I should have gotten my calendar out, I didn't know this was a test. I guess people question your credibility on a daily basis, I'm not accustomed to defending everything I say in passing.
http://www.weatherbook.com/blizzard19...
I could really care less if you believe me or not. I was just sharing my Peyton story.
shipperman#280095 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
willaustin writes:
Whatever buddy. I know what I say is the truth. Go troll somewhere else.
shipperman#280095 writes:
NOT A TROLL PUNK, AVID UT FAN. GETTING CAUGHT IN YOUR LIES TOUCHES A TENDER SPOT DOESN'T IT?
lukebatson#209548 writes:
There most certailnly was a blizzard in 96. I was a senior at UT at the time. Started snowing on a Friday is I remember correctly and the University was actually closed on Monday.
Great story about Peyton by the way!
willaustin writes:
Don't you have some groceries to bag?
Whatever the hell you want to call it (a blizzard, a snow storm, etc.) it snowed in College Park, I was there, I met Peyton. End of story.
I feel a little bit sorry for you that you have these trust issues. Did you have a wife cheat on your or something?
I'm not arguing semantics with an imbecile that thinks the caps lock is cruise control for coolness. I have nothing to prove to you. You an avid rude, obnoxious idiot. I know that.
Have a nice day!
willaustin writes:
Thanks. Not sure what that dude's problem is. Think he's just trying to get me worked up. Not going to work.
Peyton is a class act. We were camping out for Florida tickets at the UC my Junior year and he came and bought pizza (out of his own pocket) for the 30-40 people in the front of the line. He handed them out.
Good guy.
Go Vols!
shipperman#280095 writes:
There was some snow, but there was no blizzard. Do your research. The last blizzard here was 1993
shipperman#280095 writes:
You snot nosed punk, you are already worked up. UT didnt teach you the difference between a little snow and a blizzard? There can be snow flurries in this area and everything closes, and all the milk and bread disappears
gillblog writes:
AH yes, the Great Blizzard Debates of 2010! So glad I lived to see them.
shipperman#280095 writes:
LOL
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Wes Rucker still on staff here, gotta say, the CTFP is a top-notch paper! Peyton coming here in a few, huh. Maybe I'll get lucky...
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
We really are blessed here with this staff. Ever wonder why their articles are used so much??
jimr07 writes:
it was not peyton's decision. why hate on him for what Bill Polian decided to do.
tnsportsman writes:
I disagree, Peyton would make a great head coach at UT someday. From hearing him speak on 3 different occasions, he even makes slight reference to the fact.
Peyton is already the best Head Coach in the NFL, LOL. It's in his blood and his blood is ORANGE! But that is just my hopes and opinion, just hope it's his!
I don't think Peyton would have to worry about a very small group of negative UT Fans, in the NFL he is already use to those types.
GO VOLS, WE ARE UT!
GO COLTS!
gillblog writes:
You're correct. It was not Peyton's decision but it would have been the right decision for him to go in on his own. Believe me, absolutely no one on that coaching staff and no one in the stands would have questioned it. And, I firmly believe he would have received a standing ovation if he had made a bold, take control, hang the consequences, and I hate to say it but a Bret Favre move. All he had to do was turn to his coach and say, 'look coach, the kid's not ready, I have to go in.'
I certainly do not hate Peyton. I've loved him since he made the decision to come to UT. Furthermore, I believe the Colts as an organization have done a great deal to waste his talents over the years.
Yet, as I said, I lost a lot of NFL respect for him. He and the Colts had a chance to make history. History, man. And they turned their backs on it.
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, saddest of these; it might have been".
NoSirRee writes:
Troll
TnWalker writes:
Thought I'd go to bat for WillAustin and debunk your unnecessarily angry posts.
Check out the Weather Calendar for Knoxville here.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mrx/ty...
Particularly, you might want to note January 6. I'll quote: "Blizzard hit the east coast in 1996. Up to 30” of snow fell in east TN. 3 died in Maynardville."
It doesn't say exactly when the 30" fell or exactly where it fell, but it does say that there was a "blizzard" in Jan 1996. Whether it was late 1995 or early 1996, it appears that Will remembers it being his sophomore year, so drop the attidude, dude.
GOJO writes:
****
From Mr. Webster
Blizzard: (1) A severe snowstorm.
(2) A strong wind filled with fine snow.
If there is enough snow to make snowballs in the South, we will damn sure call it a blizzard if we want to.
Go peddle your Yankee sounding phooey somewhere else. We talk football here.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
DANG! Calm down guys or you'll have a Meyer!
orangecountyvols writes:
Wow, discussions about football turn into a snow ball throwing contest.
This is sort of like in Richmond,Va in 1969. The Times Dispatch said it had not snowed on Christmas Day in years around Richmond. I found it interesting that the 18 inches that snowed that Christmas Day was not seen from Midlothian to Richmond, a scant few miles away.
Anyway, if we are going to have someone get so worked up about snow on the U T campus, can we imagine what a football game in 2010 is going to be like? Not trying to 'take sides' but one of these seems a lot more credible than the other to me.......initials are w a fwiw. By the way, which date is national troll day? Maybe every day since they are here 24/7.
Go Vols !
coondog700 writes:
If Peyton ran for mayor, he'd win. If he ran for gov., he'd win. If he wants to be HC for the Vols, the job is his. Same with AD. In either of these positions, he would excel, and we would be fortunate to have him. There aren't any other Peyton Mannings out there.
ncvol17 writes:
W T F? You expected him to bolt onto the field against his coaches decisions? Do you do what you want at work and darn the boss orders? Yeah, right
agohn writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
illinoisvolfan writes:
Good gosh, I hope it doesn't get THAT bad...
kyvol98 writes:
I wondered if you would make a comment.
Thanks for not disappointing me!
GOJO writes:
*****
If you are referring to Peyton, I guess you wouldn't want her to be turned down, eh?
joeltonvol writes:
shipperman#280095,
You're the idiot. I was a freshman in 95/96 and there was a big snowstorm that cancelled classes for 3 days. There weren't any other cancelled classes the rest of my time there. Maybe it wasn't a "blizzard", but it definetly was a big snowstorm because we had a snowball fight in the Presidential Courtyard.
onlyfor writes:
What a maroon. You have no idea what PM said behind closed doors about the game plan for the last two games; all we know for sure is he has too much class to argue with that game plan with his coach on the sidelines. All of those "fans" who were so upset that PM and others did not play those games would have been incredibly upset if he had a season ending or even a career ending injury in the snow. I support PM. I respect PM. I am a true fan, not a so-called fan who boos when a QB who gives 100% all season long makes a decision with his coach and the team's ownership and then follows through on that decision. Go, Colts!
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